


Visions of Potions

by scratchingpost1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-12-16
Updated: 2011-01-29
Packaged: 2017-10-13 17:12:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 25,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scratchingpost1/pseuds/scratchingpost1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An indiscretion in the past leads to unexpected help in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Notes:** This is a prequel to [Charmed Potions](http://archiveofourown.org/works/124540). This story begins right before Harry's third year at Hogwarts. This is AU from Prisoner of Azkaban on. The major canon events still happen, but the small details have been changed to allow for my plot.

**********

It was not often that Professor Severus Snape received letters by owl. Certainly, when he had been a student, he received his fair share of letters. However, he could count on one hand the number of letters he had received since he began teaching at Hogwarts. So when he saw the small barn owl waiting outside his office, he was suspicious.

He removed the parchment from the owl's leg and unrolled it as the owl flew away. Immediately, he recognized the handwriting. Not wanting anyone to see, he quickly entered his office and closed the door. He read the letter several times, not really believing what he was reading. It was not a message he had been prepared to receive.

Tucking the letter into his robes, he headed for Dumbledore's office. By now the Headmaster would have received notice of the change in enrollment. After all, school would start in just a few days.

Dumbledore smiled as Professor Snape entered his office. "I've been expecting you, Severus. As you know, it is unusual for Hogwarts to accept new students this close to the start of term."

"I know," Severus said quietly.

"But the circumstances surrounding this student are quite unusual." Dumbledore paused and looked into Severus' eyes. When Severus didn't respond, he continued. "Her mother had intended to educate her at home, but now that will be impossible. It seems you are Sarah's only living relative." He handed Severus a roll of parchment.

Severus quickly read the message before responding. "So it seems."

"Do you doubt it?" Dumbledore asked.

"It is likely that I am the girl's father." He handed the parchment back to Dumbledore. "I last saw her mother almost twelve years ago. I never knew until today --"

"That you have a daughter," Dumbledore finished.

"Yes."

"I'm certain you will be a fine father, Severus."

Severus turned to leave, but Dumbledore cleared his throat. "One more thing before you go," he said. "I hope you don't mind, but I took it upon my self to have Sarah moved to London. She will be staying with a trusted family until she catches the Hogwarts Express with the other students. We wouldn't want to deprive her of that experience."

Severus bowed his head slightly towards Dumbledore in a silent thank you. "Do you truly trust them?" he asked after a moment.

"I trust them as much as I trust you," Dumbledore answered with a smile. That was good enough for Severus.

As Severus left the office, he wondered how much Dumbledore really knew. Surely, the true identity of Sarah's mother was still a secret. After all, he hadn't told anyone.

**********

Sarah arrived on the Hogwarts Express with the other students and took the traditional boat ride across the lake with the other first years. Severus watched as all the first years were led into the Great Hall for the sorting. He looked over all the new students but had no idea which one could be his daughter.

Finally, Professor McGonagall called out, "Snape, Sarah!" A hush fell over the hall before a ripple of whispers coursed through the room. Both students and teachers alike were surprised at hearing the name. A tall, thin girl with dark hair walked to the front and sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and the room fell silent once more.

The room was so quiet and Severus so close to the stool that he could hear a few words spoken by the hat but only enough to realize that the hat was having a very difficult time placing Sarah. After a much longer than usual time on the stool, the Sorting Hat called out, "Ravenclaw!"

The room remained silent for a few heartbeats before the Ravenclaw table erupted in applause. Severus watched as Sarah slid off the stool and walked to the Ravenclaw table. By the time she sat down, the rest of the students had joined in with polite applause, but it was evident that they didn't know what to think of this development.

Once the sorting was finished, Dumbledore welcomed the students, and the food appeared for the feast.

After the feast, Dumbledore stood and gave some final notices. Severus barely heard a word he said. He was focusing on Sarah. She was talking with the other Ravenclaw first years. At the Slytherin table, the students were whispering as they kept glancing towards Sarah. He was certain he knew what they were thinking. It was always a shock when a child was placed into a different house than their family, especially when the family were Slytherins. Of course, it was unusual for a Slytherin to marry or have a child with a member of another house. Severus was fairly certain that no one knew the identity of Sarah's mother or that her mother had been in Gryffindor. He didn't need the kind of attention he would receive if that bit of news became common knowledge.

Severus was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost missed his opportunity to talk to Sarah. Fortunately, she was lingering behind, possibly waiting to speak with him. He really didn't know how to approach her or what he would say.

Before he could decide how to approach her, Dumbledore spoke up. "Miss Snape, would you come here a moment?"

Sarah whispered something to a small group of first year girls before walking over to them. "Yes, sir?" She looked from Dumbledore to Severus and back to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore indicated Severus with a wave of his hand. "This is Professor Snape," he said. "Your father." He quickly turned and left the room, leaving the two of them alone in the Great Hall.

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Sarah spoke. "Mum told me a bit about you," she said. "She always thought you should have been in Ravenclaw, said you were the smartest student of your year." She blushed and looked away.

He didn't know how to respond to that. He had always thought Lily was the smartest of their year. After another awkward moment, he responded, "Well, your mother always thought the best of her friends." He really wasn't any good at small talk. "You look like your mother."

She smiled at him. "Really?"

He gave her a small nod and a bit of a smile.

"She always said I look like you." She shuffled her feet. "She said I think about magic the way you do and wanted to teach me herself, didn't think the teachers here would understand me."

Suddenly, Severus understood why Sarah had been sent to him. Her mother's reasons were becoming more clear. He couldn't be completely certain yet, but her letter was making more sense to him now. He knew why he needed to help Sarah.

He must have been silent too long because Sarah cleared her throat and said, "I really should go now. The others are waiting for me."

"Of course," he said. "I will see you in class."

**********

Over the next few weeks, Severus didn't see much of Sarah. She was in his Potions class, and she occasionally stopped by his office with questions on homework.

From what he could tell, she was making friends easily, but he didn't know if that was her own doing or because of her cat. Three weeks went by before he had even noticed the cat. It was a sleek black cat with one blue eye and one green eye. It followed Sarah into Potions class one day and promptly curled up under her desk. At the end of class, it stood, stretched and followed her out of the classroom. From that moment, every time he saw Sarah, he looked for the cat. The cat was always there.

He didn't give the matter much thought until he found the cat wandering about on it's own in the dungeons. The cat saw him and followed him for a few minutes before turning and heading towards Ravenclaw Tower. For several minutes after the cat left, he was haunted by the feeling that the cat had been waiting for him. He knew it was an absurd notion, but it almost felt as though the cat were checking up on him.

**********

That night Severus couldn't stop thinking about Sarah's mother. He hadn't thought about Emma much until he'd learned about Sarah. Even then, he really didn't dwell on thoughts of her, but this night, he was haunted by the memory of the last time they had seen each other.

**

 _Severus stood gazing out the window of his sitting room. It was much too bright outside, much too cheerful. With a wave of his wand he moved his bookcase to cover the window. Satisfied with the resulting effect, he sat down and waited._

 _There was nothing he could do but wait. He knew Voldemort would not likely spare Lily, but he couldn't interfere. He had done what he could to keep her safe, but Voldemort was unrelenting in his quest to stop the prophecy from coming to pass._

 _Severus didn't know how long he sat before he heard the knock on the door. He hesitated before opening the door, but it wasn't the visitor he feared._

 _"Emma." He motioned for her to come inside._

 _"Severus," she said as he closed the door. "I have news for you."_

 _"You've had a vision?" he asked._

 _"Yes," she answered. "But not of Lily. Not directly. I think the Fidelius Charm has prevented it." She took a deep calming breath. "I saw a vision of you, Severus."_

 _"And ...?" he prompted._

 _"I saw you. You were kneeling beside a grave and weeping." She sat in a chair near the fireplace and looked down at her hands in her lap._

 _Severus and Emma shared a look that spoke volumes. They both knew that the death of only one person would affect him that way. He turned to look away from her, but she grabbed his hand and stood to face him. "I'm sorry. If I knew where they were, I would help them."_

 _"You aren't the Secret-Keeper?" he asked._

 _"No. They don't trust me." She sighed. "Why should they after I quit school and left the way I did?"_

 _He squeezed her hand in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "They didn't believe your visions?"_

 _"No. I'm the first in the family to have visions. They thought I was pretending to get attention. Even Sirius laughed at me."_

 _"I'm sorry, Emma. I know you had hoped that Sirius --" He quickly changed the subject. "What of Voldemort? Do you see anything of him?"_

 _Wiping a tear from her eye, she said, "My vision is unclear when it comes to him. I don't know what will happen. We will need to wait and see. I fear it all depends on who James and Lily chose to be their Secret-Keeper, and I fear it's not who it should be."_

 _They stood in silence for several minutes before Emma spoke. "I am sorry about Lily. I know you love her."_

 _Severus saw the tears shining in Emma's eyes. "I am sorry about Sirius." He didn't much like Sirius himself, but he knew Emma loved him._

 _"You've been a good friend, Severus." She let go of his hand and turned to leave._

 _"Wait!" Severus said more loudly than he'd intended. "Are you leaving?"_

 _"I have to leave. I can't be anywhere near here after ..." She faltered. He had never seen her at a loss for words before. "If any of his followers learn that I have visions ... I'm afraid of what will happen to me. They will do anything to get what they want. I have to get as far away as I can. I have to hide. No one can know where I am."_

 _She turned to leave again, but Severus pulled her close and did something that surprised both of them. He kissed her. It was a very brief kiss. He released her and backed away. "I'm sorry."_

 _He saw his own pain reflected in her eyes as she walked towards him. "I'm not Lily, and you're not Sirius," she whispered, "but can we just pretend? For just one night, can we pretend?"_

 _Severus nodded, pulled her into his arms and kissed her again._

**

Severus had woken the next morning to find Emma had left. She hadn't trusted him with where she was going. He didn't blame her for that. She had been terrified. When, weeks later, he heard news of her death, he somehow knew it wasn't true.

She had faked her own death and disappeared. He didn't hear from her again until just before school started. She hadn't signed the letter, but he knew she had sent it. She had mentioned visions and needing to take care of some matters. That was her reason for leaving Sarah in his care.

Obviously, Dumbledore didn't know her true identity. Severus was certain Dumbledore would have mentioned it by now if he knew. All he knew was that Sarah was given Severus' name and that her mother had been in an accident and could no longer care for Sarah. Dumbledore probably knew it wasn't entirely true, but he hadn't pressed Severus or Sarah for details.

**************  
TBC in Part 2  
**************


	2. Part 2

**********

 **Part 2**

Severus dreaded Halloween. It was the day Lily had died, but it was also the day Sarah had been conceived. He didn't know how much Sarah knew about the events of that night. If she knew anything about it, she hadn't said anything to him.

As he watched the students entering the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast, he noticed Harry Potter. Briefly, Severus considered talking to the boy about Sarah, but changed his mind. Emma had wanted to separate herself and Sarah from the Potters, and had gone to great lengths to fake her death and create a new identity. Severus thought it best not to meddle. He did not know all her reasons for sending Sarah to Hogwarts, and he did not want to risk disrupting her plans.

The feast itself concluded without much drama, but as it always seemed to happen on Halloween at Hogwarts, something terrible happened afterward. According the Fat Lady in the portrait outside Gryffindor Tower, Sirius Black attacked her when she wouldn't let him inside. When all the students were taken to the Great Hall for the night, Severus found himself searching for Sarah. When he saw that she was safe, he relaxed a little.

Dumbledore sent the teachers to search the castle for Sirius Black. Severus was sent to search the third floor. As he reached the stairs, he felt something brush against his leg. He immediately brought his wand up, ready to strike. He didn't see anything, but a barely audible sound made him look down. Sarah's cat was sitting by his feet. He suddenly got the strangest feeling that the cat was waiting for permission to join in the search for Black.

"Very well," Severus said. "You may come, but don't get in my way."

The cat, in fact, did not get in his way at all. It merely followed him as he searched and returned to the Great Hall with him. After he made his report to Dumbledore, Severus expected to see the cat stay with Sarah. However, as he approached the dungeons and his quarters, he found that the cat had followed him.

"Do you want something?" he asked. He couldn't believe he was talking to a cat, but something about the cat. The eyes, one green and one blue, seemed almost familiar to him. "Well?"

In answer, the cat simply tilted its head to one side.

Severus sighed and turned his back on the cat. "I must be insane to be expecting an answer from a cat."

"It's a good thing that I'm not really a cat."

He spun around with his wand raised at the unexpected voice. "Emma?" He stared at the woman standing before him. She had long, black hair and wore glasses, but behind the glasses, she had one green eye and one blue eye.

She laughed. "I thought you would have realized it was me weeks ago, Severus. My eyes alone should have been evidence enough."

I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to compromise your safety," he said. "When you didn't reveal yourself when I first saw you, I thought I was wrong." He opened his office door and followed Emma inside before locking the door.

"Thank you for taking Sarah," Emma said. "I know it must have been a shock."

"It was, but I do understand your reasons." Severus sat and waited for Emma to sit. "Do your visions have anything to do with Sirius Black?"

"What?" She shook her head. "No."

"Then, this is about Lord Voldemort?"

"Yes, but it is more about you and Sarah." She looked down at the floor a moment before meeting his gaze. "My visions aren't as clear as they once were. I do know that Sarah is here to guide you."

"Does Sarah have visions as well?"

"Not now, but I've seen her future. She will give one prophecy that I know of. I don't think that is the reason she is here." Emma stood and paced for a moment before turning back to him. "She has a natural talent for magic, but she needs instruction in it's use. That is the reason she is here." She sat again and met his eyes. "But she has a strange way of thinking about magic. I tried to teach her, but her ideas ... She understands potions and herbology, but she doesn't like spells and charms. She told me 'there must be a better way to do magic.' I stopped trying to teach her."

"I have noticed that she is very inventive with her potions," he said. "She's been trying to improve the potions assigned in class. I have never had a first year with her ambition." Severus reached out and took Emma's hands. "I am certain she will do fine in all her classes. She cannot be the worst student we've had," he said, thinking of Mr. Longbottom.

"I suppose." Emma sighed and changed the subject. "Will you be leaving Hogwarts for the Christmas Holiday?"

"No. I must stay here. With Sirius Black on the loose, I must help protect the students."

"Do you actually think he's a threat?" she asked.

"Don't you?"

"No. I know he had nothing to do with the events of that night, but I can't prove it, not without ..."

"Not without revealing your own secrets?" Severus asked.

Emma nodded. "I saw him in a vision. You were there, and so was Remus."

"Do you know how soon events will happen?" Severus asked.

"Not precisely. I rarely know dates, but it will happen while Professor Lupin is teaching here at Hogwarts." She squeezed his hands. "You need to let events unfold naturally," she warned him. "But you must protect the students, especially Harry."

"I don't understand."

"You will later." She released his hands and stood. "Look. I understand what you are doing here. I know what you are doing for Dumbledore and for Harry, but you can't let your personal feeling interfere. If you do, it will all end badly."

Severus stood and walked over to her. "Emma, you said you are not here because of Sirius Black. Yet, you tell me of this vision."

"It's not about Sirius. It's about the third one that I can't see in my vision. He is important somehow."

They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Neither had yet to breach the subject of their last night together. Severus wasn't sure he was ready to discuss it, but he was thankful when Emma brought it up first.

"Severus, about that night we spent together," she whispered. "I'm sorry I left the way I did."

"There's no need for apologies. No one knows more than I do the importance of keeping secrets. You were frightened and you left before anyone could come looking for you." He pulled her closer. "I should thank you for leaving my memories of that night intact."

"You don't regret it?" Emma asked.

"Not at all." He tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. "You look like your brother and your nephew. If anyone saw you, especially wearing those glasses, they would know who you are. Perhaps you would allow me to brew a potion for you."

"To fix my vision?" she asked. "I thought that wasn't possible."

"You don't trust me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I do, but I've asked around and no one can do it."

"They could if they thought you had enough money," Severus sneered. "Give me a week, and I'll have a potion ready for you."

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you."

Severus wasn't prepared for the flood of emotions caused by that one simple act. "Emma," he whispered. He tried several times to say what was on his mind.

Emma smiled at him. "It's not like you to be at a loss for words." She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "I don't regret that night either, but I wish we hadn't pretended. The memory would be better if we had let ourselves be who we were."

Severus pulled her against his chest. "We could create a new memory."

*************  
TBC in Part3  
*************


	3. Part 3

**********

Severus woke to find Emma had returned to her cat form. She was curled up on the floor next to his head, and she was purring loudly. He supposed that was to be expected. Not wanting to disturb her but needing to get ready for his first class, he slowly and quietly rose from the bed and pulled on his robes. His back ached from sleeping on the floor. He had been so tired the night before that they didn't make it to his bedroom, and he hadn't thought to conjure anything to sleep on.

He left food for Emma along with a note on how to unlock and lock the door to his office using the charms he had placed.

Smiling, he gave her one last look before he left the room and headed for the staffroom. He had a few things to discuss with the other professors before his first class.

He saw Professor McGonagall, but Professor Flitwick was not there. "Minerva, I need to speak with you about Sarah."

"Certainly, Severus," she said. "What's on your mind?"

"I would like to know if she is doing well in Transfiguration," he said.

"As well as any other first year. Some of her transfigurations haven't been exactly what was expected, and she claims her results are intentional." Minerva sighed. "But many students try to tell me that. They don't like to admit that they've performed the spell imprecisely."

He supposed that could be true, but his conversation with Emma still weighed heavily on his mind. "Thank you," he said.

"Severus, you are welcome to observe her in class anytime." She smiled at him. "I'm certain Albus would watch over your class this afternoon. He would enjoy spending time with your seventh year Ravenclaws."

**********

Minerva had been correct. The Headmaster loved the idea of watching over his Potions class for an afternoon. So he headed to the Transfiguration classroom to observe.

Watching the class was very educational. The class contained the normal mix of students. Most were average with the skill you would expect of first years at this point in the term. Some were exceptional, and some were terrible.

Then there was Sarah. He wasn't sure where to place her. Sometimes, she could make the transfiguration work perfectly. At other times, she couldn't do it at all. Mostly, she performed the spell in a way that was flawless but not what the assignment called for. The most disturbing part - and Severus wasn't certain Minerva realized this yet - was that Sarah was performing all the transfigurations silently, except for the rare occasion when she was called on to demonstrate for the class.

He stayed behind after Minerva dismissed the class. "Minerva?"

"Yes, Severus." She looked up from her desk.

"I think we need to have a discussion about Sarah. We should go see Albus."

"Sarah is doing well, Severus. You saw that yourself. What could you possibly need to discuss?"

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of Dumbledore's desk. "What is the meaning of this, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"I do not believe Sarah is learning anything in her Transfiguration class," Severus said. "I suspect the same of her Charms class."

Before he could explain further, Minerva interrupted. "That is a serious accusation!"

"I am not accusing either you or Professor Flitwick." He sighed. "When I observed Sarah in your class today, she was not performing the required work."

"But she was. I watched her perform the spells. I saw her transformations." Minerva looked from Severus to Dumbledore. "She knows how to do the work."

"She can make it work," Severus said. "But I never once witnessed her saying any of the spells or waving her wand with the correct motions."

Dumbledore held up a hand to forestall more protests from Minerva. "Your class of first year Ravenclaws is quite large this year, Minerva. Surely, you can't watch every student all the time. There is a simple way to clear this matter." He turned to Severus. "I will need your memory of the class. We will all view it. If necessary, we will speak with Sarah."

After viewing Severus' memory of watching Sarah during class, all three of them agreed that someone should talk to her.

"It may be nothing to worry about at all," Dumbledore said. "Many young witches and wizards do magic without voicing spells, and many don't use a wand. She needs to understand that the basics must be learned properly before she can progress to more advanced magic." He looked at Severus with a sly smile. "I remember that you tried to perform magic beyond your years when you were a student."

Severus nodded. He remembered researching spells and potions on his own. He caused much trouble with them, but he never performed them in the classroom in front of his teachers. "I will speak with her tonight."

**********

After dinner, Severus stopped Sarah as she was leaving the Great Hall. "Sarah, I need to speak with you privately for a moment. Could you come to my office for a few minutes?"

"Yes, sir," she answered.

He waited until she had spoken with her friends, and they walked to his office together. He noticed that Emma followed behind them. Once inside with the door shut and locked, he turned to face Sarah. "We need to have a family talk."

Sarah looked confused until her mother transformed into her human form.

"He knows, Sarah," Emma said. "I showed him last night."

Severus stood next to Emma as he looked at Sarah. "We need to discuss your work in your Transfiguration class."

"And your Charms class," Emma added.

Sarah looked from Severus to Emma and back to Severus before speaking. "I'm doing all the work. I perform the spells they assign."

"I know. That is not where the trouble lies." Severus sighed. This discussion was proving to be more difficult than he'd anticipated. "You appear to have abilities that are not taught except to sixth and seventh year students. This may worry some people."

"Like Professor McGonagall?" Sarah asked.

"Among others," he said. "There have been students in the past who demonstrated talents such as yours."

"They were students of dark wizards," Emma explained. "We know that you are not in contact with any Death Eaters."

"So, how did you come by these abilities?" Severus asked. "How are you able to perform the spells non-verbally and without the proper wand motions?"

Sarah stared at them both for a moment. "The words don't make sense to me. How is the magic supposed to know what to do for me just by a wand movement and some silly words. That's why some kids don't do well at all. If I can't understand a spell and see it in my mind, it won't work. It took me weeks to figure it out." She plopped down onto a chair and looked up at them. "We were shown a wand movement and given a word or two to say. We were given a vague idea of what should happen and told to practice."

She paused a moment, and Emma started to say something. Severus stopped her with a look and a shake of his head. He wanted to hear Sarah finish her explanation.

After a few moments, Sarah spoke again. "Professor Lupin is different, though. I did well in his class from the first day. He thoroughly explains each spell before we attempt to perform it. By the time I try it myself, I can see it clearly in my mind. All the teachers should teach that way. Professor Lupin doesn't mind that my wand motions are different or that I don't voice my spells aloud. He says the results are what matter."

"But we need to know the words to understand the spells?" Emma protested.

"Do we?" Sarah asked. "Who decided that all the spells should be in Latin? Who decided on all the wand motions? How are new spells created? How does the magic know? There must be a better way."

Severus was beginning to understand why Emma had found teaching Sarah to be a difficult task. He remembered asking similar questions when he was a student, but he had come to different conclusion than Sarah had. It was one of the things that had led him to create his own spells and potions. He suddenly remembered that Emma had a vision of Sarah guiding him, and he wondered if it might involve her unique way of thinking about magic. He would have to wait and see.

"You need to learn the spells and charms as taught in class," Severus told Sarah. "We do not need you to draw unnecessary attention to yourself." Sarah started to protest, but he knew what she was going to say. "I will talk to your teachers and have them give you the lesson plans a week ahead. That should give you time to research each assignment before it is discussed in class."

"You have many bright friends," Emma said. "I'm certain they will help you."

"Hermione and her friends have started a study group."

Severus stifled a groan as he heard the names. He knew Hermione Granger was intelligent and could help Sarah, but he hoped that she wouldn't be pulled into the trouble that always followed Hermione Granger and her friends.

*************  
TBC in Part 4  
*************


	4. Part 4

**********

Over the next few weeks, Severus made time in his schedule to meet with Sarah a few times a week to discuss her school work. While she still didn't seem to understand the need for verbal spells and their corresponding wand movements, she was learning them. By the start of the Christmas Holiday, she had memorized all the spells for both Transfiguration and Charms.

The Christmas Holiday was something Severus had not thought about in regards to Sarah. Many students traveled home to be with their families during the holiday. A few did stay at Hogwarts, but not many. Severus always stayed at Hogwarts during all the Holidays. As the Slytherin Head of House, it was expected of him.

He had asked Sarah if she'd been invited to go home with any of her friends. He wasn't sure if it would be wise for her to go, but if Emma went along, it might be safe. To his relief, Sarah said she didn't want to go anywhere for the holiday. All her friends were staying as well.

The holiday passed without incident, and soon classes resumed. Weeks and then months passed also without incident.

By June, Severus began to wonder if Emma's vision would come to pass.

**********

On the evening of the full moon, Severus took a goblet full of Wolfsbane Potion to Professor Lupin's office. Professor Lupin wasn't there, but as Severus turned to leave, he saw a curious map lying on the desk. It took him a moment to realize what he was seeing. Someone had enchanted a map of Hogwarts to show everything, including every person in and around the castle.

He studied the map for a moment and was shocked by what he saw. Hermione, Harry and Ron were traveling along a passageway outside the castle. Sirius Black was with them as was Peter Pettigrew. Professor Lupin was following them. As he was turning to leave the room, two more names caught his eye. Sarah and her mother were traveling along the passage behind Professor Lupin.

He suddenly remembered that Emma had told him to "protect the students, especially Harry." She had also urged him to let events unfold naturally. She didn't want him to interfere. He wished he understood, but he didn't waste time thinking about it. Instead, he turned and hurried out the office door and headed for the entrance to the passage at the Whomping Willow.

When he reached the Whomping Willow, he was fortunate to find an invisibility cloak lying on the ground. He had no doubt that it belonged to Harry. Throwing it on, he poked the knot on the tree with a long stick to stop the tree's movements and entered the passageway.

It didn't take long to travel the path from the tree to the Shrieking Shack. It took longer to make his way through the building without being detected. He found the room quickly and waited, listening. While he wanted nothing more than to burst into the room and capture Black and Lupin, he knew he must wait. Emma's visions had never been wrong. He had to trust her this time as well. He would only interfere if it seemed like the students were in danger.

He tried very hard to stay still, but feelings long buried surfaced as he listened to Lupin and Black talk of how they'd treated him years before. His knuckles were white as he held his wand tightly.

"Your father was a much different man when he was in school," Sirius said. "I really couldn't believe he fell for pranks like that."

"He was a better man than the two of you or James." Severus was surprised to hear Emma's voice. He thought she would have remained in her cat form.

"How would you know?" Sirius asked. "You left school before Snape showed his true colors."

"You know nothing about my father's true colors!" Sarah yelled. "Anyone would have reacted the way he did if taunted to the extent he was."

Severus quietly moved to stand in the doorway where he could see.

"Oh, really? Your mother didn't. She just ran away." Sirius took a step towards Sarah and Emma.

Severus didn't hesitate. He threw off the cloak and stepped into the room, his wand pointed at Sirius. "I knew you had someone helping you into the castle, and I told the headmaster not to trust you, Lupin."

The next few moments were a blur. Looking back on it all, Severus barely remembered what was said or what happened. He remembered that Hermione and Harry tried to convince him that both Black and Lupin should be trusted. He also remembered losing his temper and insulting Harry Potter and his father. He only barely saw the look of hurt and anger on Emma's face before Harry, Hermione and Ron disarmed him and knocked him out.

He wasn't certain how long he was unconscious before Sarah woke him. Emma was back in her cat form, but Sarah helped him as he conjured stretchers for Hermione, Harry, Ron and Sirius.

Severus knew that Emma was angry with him. Even in her cat form, it was obvious. He wondered how much of her anger was because he didn't follow her instructions and how much was because she still had an emotional attachment to Sirius Black.

Sirius Black was going to get the punishment he deserved. He couldn't change that even if he wanted to. Emma would need to come to terms with the fact sooner or later. He could live with her anger if it meant saving the world from the likes of Sirius Black.

**********

Severus was livid when he learned of Sirius Black's escape. He knew Sirius couldn't have escaped on his own. Harry, Hermione and Ron friends had to have helped him somehow, and Hermione was intelligent enough to have orchestrated the entire plan.

He didn't think before he burst through the doors of the hospital wing and accused Harry of helping Sirius escape. Dumbledore assured him that Harry, Ron and Hermione had been locked inside the hospital wing the entire time that Sirius had been in the tower awaiting the Dementors.

Severus knew the Headmaster was correct, but the only other person who would have been able to help Sirius escape was Emma. He was not ready to contemplate that option. Besides, Emma was angry enough already. He didn't want to complicate matters further.

He also had the matter of Peter Pettigrew to deal with before he could relax. Pettigrew had disappeared sometime during the night. Sarah had told him that he had changed back into a rat and ran away. Emma had attempted to chase him, but he slipped away from her.

"No doubt he will surface soon," Severus muttered as he opened his office door. "I will handle the matter when he does."

"Who will surface soon, Severus?" Dumbledore asked. He was standing near the desk.

"Peter Pettigrew," he answered. "It seems that he's alive and was hiding as Weasley's pet rat. He ran away while I was unconscious."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm sure it's nothing to concern yourself with at the moment. However, something else happened while you were unconscious that we need to address right away."

"What would that be, Headmaster?" Severus asked.

"It seems that Sirius Black informed Mr. Potter and his friends of Emma's true identity. Mr. Potter is quite upset to learn that he has living relatives other than the Dursleys. Perhaps you and Emma should talk to him and explain the situation."

"I do not think he will like the explanation," Severus replied.

"Probably not." Dumbledore sighed. "He certainly won't like learning that he must continue to live with the Dursleys until his seventeenth birthday."

"About that ..." Severus began to ask what had been on his mind for years, but Dumbledore interrupted him.

"I cannot reveal my reasons, Severus. In time, you will understand. Just know that it is for the boy's own safety. There is ancient magic at work here. Voldemort cannot fight it."

Severus sighed. "I will do my best to explain everything to Mr. Potter."

**********

Severus didn't know which he dreaded more, speaking to Harry Potter or facing Emma. He didn't know how to approach Emma, but he knew he couldn't talk to Harry alone. Before he could decide what to do, Emma showed up at his office.

"We need to talk," she said.

"Yes, I think we do," he agreed. He watched he walk into his office and sit down before he closed the door.

"Several people know my secret now." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I don't think it will compromise my safety, but we need to talk to Harry and his friends before the whole school finds out."

"We could Obliviate their memories," Severus suggested as he sat down behind his desk.

"We could, but Harry and Sarah deserve to know the truth," Emma said.

"Sarah didn't know?" he asked. He had really thought that Emma would have told Sarah the truth years before.

"I never told her. She has only ever known me as Emma Snape. She thinks the name I had before was Emma White, a name I took from a Muggle that died in a fire before she was born." Before he could ask more questions, she spoke again to explain. "I used a strand of your hair in some Polyjuice Potion. The man who took the potion posed as you in a Muggle wedding ceremony, and I Obliviated his memory afterwards. That's how I took your name. I didn't want to take any chances." She looked away from him. "I'm sorry I never told you. I should have, but I was scared. I only wanted to protect myself and Sarah. I planned on telling Sarah the truth someday, but I never found the right opportunity."

Severus was silent for a long time while he processed the information. "I think she will understand, but Potter will be angry."

"Peter Pettigrew saw me as well," Emma said. "I fear that will cause more trouble than anything else. Though I did cast a memory charm on him to try to erase the memory, but it hit him after he had transformed. I do not know if it was successful."

"I am certain that your charm worked," Severus assured her. "If he told anyone that James Potter's sister is alive and has a daughter with me, we would have heard by now."

*************  
TBC in Part 5  
*************


	5. Part 5

**********

Dumbledore allowed Severus to use the Headmaster's office to speak with Harry, Hermione and Ron about Emma, suggesting that it would put them more at ease than being summoned to the Potions office in the dungeons.

"Do you wish me to stay?" Dumbledore asked.

"Thank you, but I think we can handle the situation," Severus said.

"Very well. I will retire to my quarters." He patted Emma on her shoulder as he passed her. "It's good to see you again, dear. If you wish to continue your education, I would love to teach you. I have free time on the weekends, or I could teach you during summer. It's been a long while since I've had students to teach. I've missed it."

"Thank you, Professor," Emma said. "I will consider it."

Dumbledore smiled and left the room. A moment later there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in," Severus said. He watched as Hermione, Harry and Ron entered. Sarah arrived shortly after them.

"You wanted to see us, Professor Snape?" Hermione asked.

"The four of you heard a bit of information last night, something you were not meant to know at this time. We need to decide what to do about it," Severus said.

"We cannot risk the wrong people learning about my true identity," Emma said.

Severus could tell that Harry was angry, but Hermione held he hand out in front of him in warning. "We don't understand why Harry was never told," she said. "If he had another living relative other than the Dursleys -"

"Until the beginning of this school year, I let everyone think I was dead," Emma told them. To the rest of the world, I still am dead. Only the people in this room, Dumbledore and Sirius Black know the truth now. I need to keep it that way."

"It's for everyone's safety," Severus said. "If any of the Death Eaters ever learned that Emma is still alive, and if they learned of her abilities, they would come after her."

"I would be more valuable to them then anyone else alive." Emma looked at Harry. "Except for you."

"So, what're your special abilities?" Ron asked.

"She has visions," Sarah said.

Hermione made a derisive sound at the mention of visions.

"Her visions have never been wrong," Severus said.

"And just how many visions has she had?" Harry asked.

"I know of more than a dozen," Severus said.

"Did you know my parents were going to die?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Emma said.

"But you didn't save them!" Harry took a step towards Emma, his face red with anger.

"I couldn't," Emma said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't know where they were. They didn't trust me after I ran away from school. I wasn't their Secret-Keeper."

"You could have told someone! You could have tried to save them!" He was yelling, and Emma just stood there.

"I wanted to save them, but I didn't know how," Emma said. The tears were now streaming down her face. "I told Severus. I hoped he could help me."

"How could he help? He was a Death Eater?" Harry asked.

"There's so much you don't understand," Emma said.

"Then explain."

Severus glanced at Sarah, Hermione and Ron. They had all taken a few steps back. Obviously, they didn't want to be caught in the middle of this argument.

"I can't explain it all," Emma said. "There are things that would be dangerous for you to know."

"Perhaps they should be told," Severus said. "After all, if the truth is ever revealed about your identity or Sarah's, things would become difficult for all of us. It would be better to have them prepared."

"But if Voldemort comes back, it would not be safe for them," Emma protested.

"It is not safe for them now," Severus said.

"We won't reveal any information to anyone, Professor," Hermione said. "We know how to keep secrets."

"Do you know Occlumency?" Emma asked. "Can you protect your mind if Voldemort invades it?"

"We can teach them," Severus said.

"Why are you suddenly being so nice to us?" Ron asked.

"Sit," Severus said. "It's a long story."

Severus knew that Dumbledore would not approve, but it was the best course of action. They could Obliviate their memories, but Voldemort had ways of reversing those charms and seeing the memories. Telling Harry, Hermione and Ron was the safest way to proceed. He just hoped they could learn Occlumency well enough to protect his secret.

**********

Dumbledore had taken the news better than Severus had hoped. "It is a bit earlier than I had planned on telling him, but I don't think it will cause trouble. We will let him go home to the Dursleys for a few days. Then we will bring him back here with his friends for Occlumency lessons." Dumbledore turned to Severus. "Does he understand the need to go to his home each year? Did you explain that to him?"

"I did," Severus answered. "He was not pleased, but he will go home for a few days each summer. The bigger problem will be the Dursleys. They may not agree. Once they have him home, they may not let him leave until school begins again."

"You will need to convince them, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I am certain the Dursleys will not prevent you from taking Harry from their home. I know you can be persuasive when the need arises."

*************  
TBC in Part 6  
*************


	6. Part 6

**********

 **Part 6**

Severus had little difficulty taking Harry Potter from the Dursleys. He merely informed them that he was the Potions professor and conjured drinks to calm them. He had smiled as they pushed away the drinks in fright. Of course, he remembered Mrs. Dursley, and she seemed to remember him. Every time Mr. Dursley thought to say something, she whispered in his ear, and he would immediately shut his mouth.

Soon, he was back at Hogwarts with Harry just a week after the end of term. They met in the Great Hall for their first lesson.

Dumbledore split them into two groups. He would teach Harry and Ron while Severus would teach Sarah and Hermione.

An hour into the lesson, Hermione had not successfully resisted his attempts to invade her mind. He was about to suggest another method when he heard Sarah mumble something. He turned and glared at her.

Rather than stepping back from him, Sarah stepped forward. "There's an easier way to learn this."

"I suppose you are a master Occlumens," Severus sneered.

"No, but I have an idea of how to keep my thoughts private," she said. "It can't be that difficult."

He heard the others stifling laughter behind him, but he ignored them. "Shall we test that?" He pointed his wand and said, "Legilimens." He was rewarded with a brief glimpse of Emma, but then something strange happened. He couldn't see anything in her mind except her watching him. He tried several times with the same result. After several minutes, he stopped.

Sarah smiled at him. "That wasn't so difficult."

He didn't understand it. She'd had no training at all. She should not be able to do that.

Dumbledore had stopped his lesson with the boys and had walked over to investigate the situation. "May I?" he asked Sarah. When she nodded, he pointed his wand and whispered, "Legilimens."

Severus watched them for several minutes, but he couldn't determine if Dumbledore was having more luck than he had.

After several more minutes, Dumbledore lowered his wand and smiled. "She's a natural. I don't know how she has managed it, but I don't see any evidence in her mind of any of her memories." He waved his wand and chairs appeared in a circle. "Everyone sit."

Once everyone was seated, Severus turned to Sarah. "How do you do it?"

Sarah looked around at each of them before speaking. "I just imagine a box in my mind and put all my memories into it. I shut it and lock it. Then I hide it away in a place no one will see, and I hide the key in a different place where no one can see." She spoke of it as though she was explaining how to make tea.

"That makes no sense," Ron said.

"But it does," Dumbledore said.

"Who taught you?" Severus asked.

"No one," Sarah said. "I taught myself."

"Taught yourself," Severus whispered. _That's absurd,_ he thought.

"It takes quite a bit of imagination to create new spells and new ways of performing magic," Dumbledore said. "Sarah has an abundance of imagination."

"It can't be that simple," Harry protested.

"Wizards study for years to become proficient at Occlumency and Legilimency," Hermione said.

"I am not prepared to call her a prodigy, but she has a natural talent for magic and a unique way of approaching it." Dumbledore stared at Sarah for a moment. "It's no wonder she was placed into Ravenclaw."

"Is it unique to her?" Severus asked. "Is it something she alone can do, or can she teach others?"

"Let's find out," Dumbledore said, standing and flourishing his wand. "Harry, why don't we let you try first?"

Severus watched as each of them took their turn before Dumbledore. They each seemed to be able to hide their thoughts from the Headmaster, but Severus tested them each himself.

It seemed impossible, but the four students appeared to be able to keep both Dumbledore and himself from seeing their memories. Severus was not sure he was entirely convinced. They were each able to hide their thoughts and memories when confronted with a direct attack, but how would they do if they were surprised.

Dumbledore had the same thoughts and approached him after the students left. "Severus, we need to be certain about their abilities."

"What do you propose we do?" Severus asked. "Sneak up on them at all hours of the day and night with silent Legilimens spells?"

"Precisely."

Severus had not been entirely serious about the suggestion and was surprised when Dumbledore agreed.

"Death Eaters will not attack at convenient times. We need to prepare them for that."

"Yes, sir."

As he left the hall, he thought of Emma. He was fairly certain she could protect her memories, but it wouldn't hurt to test her as well.

Over the next week, both Severus and Dumbledore tested the students and Emma by using silent Legilimens spells when they least expected it. Sarah and Emma were always prepared for an attack. Hermione only let Severus in once. After that, she was always prepared. Harry and Ron let them both in a few times. By the end of the week, all of them were prepared to defend themselves as far as Dumbledore was concerned and let them leave the school. However, Severus still tested each of them as the left the school grounds. He was pleased when none of them let him slip into their minds.

**********

The remainder of the summer passed without incident. Severus spent most days working on potions in the classroom or his office. Occasionally, Sarah would stop by and watch him. Once, he asked her if she was lonely in the castle without the other students. She had surprised him with her answer.

"I like it better," she said. "It's just been Mum and me for years. I like the quiet. When the other students are here it gets too loud." She thought for a moment. "Plus, they all want to talk to me all the time. They want to know what it's like to have you as my father. I don't like all the attention. So, I spend most of my time in my room or in the library. There's a corner of the library that no one likes. They say it's more haunted than the rest of the castle, but I like it there. No one disturbs me when I sit there."

Severus knew the corner she mentioned. He'd spent many days there when he was a student. That area of the library wasn't really haunted. He'd started that rumor in his second year at Hogwarts. All it took was a few words muttered around the right people and a few carefully timed spells, and the corner of the library was suddenly "the most haunted spot in the castle." He smiled at the memory. Even Potter, Black and Lupin had believed it.

A few times, Sarah had tried to explain to him her theories about magic. It did not make sense to him. He knew the technique she used to hide her memories worked, but she applied the same thinking to everything. The result was that some of her spells worked and some of them didn't. When he asked her about the times it didn't work, she shrugged and said, "I don't think I have enough energy for them yet." She didn't explain her answer, and he wasn't sure he would understand if she did.

Soon, the new school year would be starting, and he would have much to do. Hogwarts was going to be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. Severus didn't think it was a good idea. It would bring unnecessary attention to the school. However, Dumbledore thought the benefit of cooperation with other schools would outweigh the risks.

*************  
TBC in Part 7  
*************


	7. Part 7

**********

 **Part 7**

The school year started off well enough, and Severus almost relaxed when nothing terrible happened. Almost. He'd never know a year to go by without incident. He was certain this year was no exception. In fact, he had a feeling that this year would bring about something more terrible than anyone at the school expected.

The first indication that he was correct was when Harry Potter became the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament. Even though he accused Harry of cheating in front of the everyone, he knew that Harry didn't have the skills to cheat the Goblet of Fire or Dumbledore's spell.

There was a spy at Hogwarts, and it was imperative that he discover the spy's identity and mission. He knew that Karkaroff was a former Death Eater, but one conversation with the wizard had shown him to be a coward. There was no way he was the spy.

Severus confided in Emma about his suspicions. She agreed that someone untrustworthy was at Hogwarts. She'd had a vision of it, but she was unable to see the identity of the person. This had happened in her visions before. It usually meant that either a powerful spell such as the Fidelius Charm was being used, or the person in the vision had used Polyjuice Potion. When he asked Emma about it, she explained, "I think my vision tries to show me both the real person and the fake one. In the end, all I see is a blur."

The second indication of terrible things happening was the Dark Mark. It had been barely noticeable over the summer, but it was growing steadily darker as the months passed. Severus was certain that Voldemort would be returning soon unless a way was found to stop him. That was highly unlikely. No one person knew how he planned to make his return.

As he cleaned his classroom after his final class of the day, he sighed in frustration at his inability to discover the spy or the method of Voldemort's return. He gathered his notes and entered his office, feeling something brush past his legs as he did. Smiling, he looked down in time to see Emma transform. She always greeted him by rubbing against his legs before returning to her human form.

"I need to speak with you about Sarah," she said as she took a stack of papers from his hands and set them on the desk.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Emma didn't look particularly worried.

"No, but she is going to come to you and ask for something. I want you to be prepared." Emma took a seat and looked him in the eye. "She is upset that no one had asked her to the Yule Ball. She wants to ask someone to go with her, and she plans on asking your permission before she does."

"Why would she - " Severus began, but Emma interrupted him.

"She told me who she wants to ask. I told her she should talk to you first. I wasn't sure about him." She fidgeted in her seat. "I know you will want to tell he no when she tells you, but you need to say yes. She needs to build a friendship with him. It is very important that she gains his friendship and trust."

"You've had a vision about him?" he asked. Emma nodded. "But you don't think I will approve?" She shook her head. "Who is it? Potter? Weasley?" His lips curled into a sneer. "Longbottom?"

"She wants to ask Draco Malfoy," Emma said so quietly that he had to strain to hear her.

"Malfoy?"

"Yes."

Severus didn't know how to respond. His daughter wanted to go to the Yule Ball with the son of a Death Eater, one of the worst Death Eaters he'd known. Lucius Malfoy would certainly be first in line to please Voldemort upon his return. Emma wanted him to allow Sarah to go on a date with his son.

"Please, Severus," Emma pleaded. "If Draco doesn't form friendships with the right people, he will follow in his father's footsteps. Sarah can help him."

"I don't know, Emma." He pretended to look through his papers to avoid her gaze.

She leaned over the desk and placed her hand on the pile of papers. When he looked up, she said, "Sarah is an intelligent girl. She knows what will happen if the wrong information gets out."

Severus looked into Emma's eyes and knew this was a battle he would not win. "Very well. I will give them my blessing, but if he hurts her, I will not hesitate to curse him."

"I'm sure he knows that." Emma smiled and returned to her cat form before leaving him alone in his office.

He sat and thought for a moment and decided he should have a talk with Malfoy before he saw Sarah.

Malfoy knocked on his door just a few minutes after being summoned. Severus stood and opened the door. "Take a seat," he said and closed the door. He remained standing as he looked at Malfoy. "Do you have a date for the Yule Ball, Mr. Malfoy?" He almost laughed at the looked that crossed the boy's face. It was clearly not the question he was expecting.

"No, Professor. I haven't asked anyone yet." Draco shifted in his seat. He was clearly uncomfortable.

"It has come to my attention that my daughter plans to ask you to go as her date," Severus said. "While I am not thrilled with the idea of her attending at all, you are a more acceptable choice of companion than I would have expected of her."

"Professor? Are you ordering me to be her date?" Draco asked.

"No, but it would be in your best interests to take her to the Yule Ball." Severus leaned close to Draco. "When she's not happy, I'm not happy." He held Draco's gaze for a moment to make his point.

"I understand, Professor," Draco said. He shifted in his again. "May I go now?"

"Yes." As Draco reached the door, he added, "Treat her well, Mr. Malfoy. If I learn that you or your friends have hurt her in any way, you will answer to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Draco said before rushing from the room.

An hour later, he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he said.

The door opened and closed slowly as Sarah entered the office. "Father?"

"Yes, Sarah," he asked. He already knew what she needed, but he had to act as though he didn't. "Do you need something?"

She cleared her throat nervously. "I want to go to the Yule Ball, but no one has asked me to go. I think they are all afraid of what you might do to them." She stepped closer to his desk. "I want to ask someone to go with me."

"Really?" he asked. "Do you have someone in mind?"

"I want to ask Draco Malfoy."

He indicated that she should sit. While she sat and waited, he pretended to think about his decision. "Draco is two years older than you."

"I know," Sarah said.

"He's Slytherin. You're Ravenclaw."

"You're Slytherin. Mum is Gryffindor."

"You aren't going to take 'no' for an answer."

Sarah shook her head.

"You are too much like your mother," he muttered. "Very well, but if he or any of his friends do anything they shouldn't, I will be very angry."

She stood and turned to leave. Before she reached the door, she turned back to him and said, "I can take care of myself. I know a few good hexes."

"I'm sure you do, but as your father, it's my job to look out for you." He smiled at her.

"I know. Thank you." She turned and left the room.

With a sigh, Severus entered his quarters and poured himself a glass of Ogden's Old Firewhisky. He suddenly realized that raising a daughter was going to be more perilous than anything he'd ever done before. He didn't know how he was going to survive the experience.

*************  
TBC in Part 8  
*************


	8. Part 8

**********

 **Part 8**

Severus had been through many horrible things in his life, but nothing had prepared him for the horror of watching his daughter prepare for the Yule Ball. She was currently sitting at his desk in his office staring at her hair in a mirror he'd given her. Emma had warned him not to let Sarah into his personal living quarters. He didn't know what kind of horrors a twelve year old girl could visit on him, but Emma had said his rooms would never be the same if he allowed her entrance.

Sarah and Emma had been in the office for an hour. Sarah had been through several different hairstyles and couldn't decide on one. He offered his opinion once and was shushed by Emma. Since then, he sat and watched silently.

He did like her choice of dress robes. He was certain Malfoy would as well. The robes were dark green trimmed in bright blue. She had a red and gold ribbon that she wanted to wear in her hair. It was the reason for the constantly changing hairstyles. Sarah seemed to think that all the styles her mother tried made her look too childish.

Severus risked offering an opinion again. "Might I suggest leaving the ribbon out?"

"I like the ribbon," Sarah said.

"You father is right," Emma said. It's not the style that makes you look younger. It's the ribbon. Let me try something without the ribbon."

Sarah agreed. After a few more minutes, she had her hair styled in a loose French braid. "I like it." She stood and twirled around once before standing in front of him. "How do I look?" she asked.

"Beautiful." Severus stared at the vision before him. He still couldn't believe he had a daughter sometimes, but she was standing in front of him and looked beautiful. He knew she was anxious to go, but he had something to give her first. He turned and retrieved a box from his desk. "This belonged to my mother." He opened the box to reveal a delicate necklace made of gold, silver and bronze metals twined together to form a circle. Small rubies, emeralds, onyx and sapphires were set within the pendant. The circle was attached to a fine gold chain. He walked around behind Sarah, placed it around her neck and closed the clasp in the back.

A moment later there was a knock on the door. Emma immediately returned to her cat form. Severus smiled at Sarah before opening the office door.

He glared down at Draco and watched him fight the urge to take a step back. The two stared at each other for almost a minute before Sarah cleared her throat. She tugged on Severus' sleeve, and he stepped back to let Draco into the room. Sarah took Draco's arm and tried to pull him out instead. "We should go. We don't want to be late."

"I want to speak with Mr. Malfoy for a moment first," Severus said.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Don't threaten him."

Severus didn't look at Sarah but kept his eyes on Draco. "I know how your fellow Slytherins will react to you escorting Sarah tonight. I've been in your position. I know what will happen. I am certain you know what your friends will do." He leaned closer to Draco and lowered his voice. "I expect you to keep your friends away from her. If they touch her, I will be very unhappy. Do you understand, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco gulped. "Yes, sir."

Severus pulled back and looked at Sarah. He thought she looked beautiful, and he hated to think of what could happen to her. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear, "I trust you. If they give you any trouble, you have my permission to do what ever you think is necessary." He straightened up and looked at the two of them. "Have a good time." He gave Draco a look that clearly said to have a good time but not too good a time.

**********

Severus walked around the Great Hall, keeping mostly to the shadows. He wanted to watch the students, but he didn't want to be noticed. Emma had followed him in her cat form. He watched her for a while as she walked through the room. She easily hid under tables and chairs and behind curtains. He trusted her to keep an eye on Draco and Sarah. He didn't want to appear to be watching Sarah every moment, and there were other students who were likely to cause trouble. If he was needed, Emma would find him.

Not long after arriving at the Great Hall, he had deducted over two hundred points total for all the Houses. Mostly it was from Slytherin. He hated to take points from his own house, but they seemed to be trying harder than usual to break as many rules as possible.

An hour after the start of the Yule Ball, he caught the first couple sneaking outside. They tried to hide behind some rose bushes. He let them think they were hidden for a moment before he raised his wand and blasted a hole in the bushes. The couple ran back inside but not before he recognized them and deducted more points from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. If the student kept misbehaving at this rate, all the Houses would have negative points before the Yule Ball was over.

When he had gone ten minutes without seeing more students hiding, he walked back into the Great Hall. He saw Sarah and Draco as they finished a dance. As they neared the refreshment table, two fifth year Slytherins, Mr. Morley and Mr. Cross, stepped in front of them blocking their way.

Severus quietly moved closer to hear the conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Emma silently walking towards them as well.

"Get out of our way," Draco sneered.

"No," Morley said.

"Not until you share," Cross said.

"There's nothing to share," Draco said as he took Sarah's arm and started to walk away.

"You can't keep her to yourself," Morley said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco said.

Severus knew where this was going. He itched to step in and stop it, but a glare from Emma kept him in place. He watched as both Draco and Sarah slowly pulled their wands from their robes. Morley and Cross hadn't noticed.

"Come on, Malfoy," Cross said. "We're not stupid. There's only one reason to bring someone like her to the Yule Ball."

"Someone like her?"

Severus smiled at Draco's response. Draco obviously knew what they wanted, but he was playing dumb. He was baiting them to see what they would do. Severus looked at Sarah. Her expression was unreadable, but he had no doubt that she was prepared to defend herself if Draco didn't.

He continued to watch the exchange from the shadows.

"She's not Slytherin," Morley said. He grabbed Sarah's other arm. "She's younger than I usually like, but ..." He leaned close to Sarah and whispered something in her ear.

Severus couldn't hear what was said, but Cross and Draco must have heard. Cross laughed and Draco raised his wand. Before Draco could do anything, Cross had disarmed him. They weren't, however, expecting a silent attack from Sarah.

Just before Severus reached them, Cross and Morley flew through the air and landed on their backs several feet away. Draco got to his feet quickly and reached them just as Severus did.

Sarah stood over Morley with her wand pointed at his crotch. He was whimpering, but whether from fright or pain, Severus didn't know.

Cross was slowly inching away. Both Severus and Draco pointed their wands at him. "Not so fast, Mr. Cross," Severus snarled. Cross stopped moving, but Draco kept his wand on him. Satisfied that Cross would stay put, Severus turned his attention to Sarah and Morley. "I do not know what you said to my daughter. Frankly, I do not want to know. If I learn what you said to her, what you wanted to do to her, I would likely do something that would have me sent to Azkaban for the rest of my life."

All the color drained from Morley's face. "Professor Snape, I -"

"Do not attempt to lie to me," Severus said.

There was a small crowd gathering around them, but Severus didn't care. All his attention was focused on Morley. "I am tempted to leave your punishment in the hands of my daughter."

"I would prefer her punishment to yours, Professor Snape." Morley glanced at Sarah and then turned his eyes back to Severus.

Severus almost laughed. The boy had no idea what trouble that would cause. He knew Sarah was a second year, but he had no idea of her abilities. "That would not be wise. She has quite the imagination."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Cross asked.

"Quite a bit actually. Shall I let her demonstrate?" Severus asked.

"NO!" Morley screamed. He covered his crotch with both hands.

"Severus, I'll take it from here." The crowd parted and Dumbledore walked over to them. "Are you alright?" he asked Sarah.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

"And you?" he asked Draco.

"Fine, sir," he answered.

"Good. Good." Dumbledore waved his wand and Cross and Morley both stood. "I will take these two." He looked at Draco and Sarah. "You should enjoy the rest of the night. It's not often you get an evening like this to enjoy." He leaned close to Sarah. "I think your father might like a dance before the night is over as well." With a wink, he turned and took Cross and Morley from the room.

The crowd dispersed when Severus glared at them. The music that had stopped when Sarah had thrown the boys across the room started back up. The dancing resumed, and after a few minutes, everything seemed normal again.

Severus watched in surprise as Draco took Sarah's hand and asked her, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," she answered and allowed him to lead her back onto the dance floor.

Severus watched them for a while before he ventured out onto the dance floor. Draco smiled at him and stepped aside to let him dance with Sarah. They danced in silence for a moment before he asked her, "What did you do to him?"

"Who? Draco?" she asked.

"No. Morley? What did you do to him?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said with a smile. "I pointed my wand and let his imagination do the rest. Whatever happened to him is all his own doing. It's all psychological."

"Really?" Severus asked.

"Nothing I could have done to him could be worse that what he imagined me doing to him."

**********


	9. Part 9

**********

 **Part 9**

The next morning, Severus went to talk with Madam Pomfrey about Morley. She confirmed his suspicions that there was nothing physically wrong with the boy. "It's all in his mind," she said. "There is nothing I can do for him. It will return to normal in time."

Severus nodded his head slightly. "So, there is no permanent injury?" he asked.

"There is no permanent _physical_ injury, but he may have long lasting psychological problems as a result of what happened," she said.

"Thank you," he said. He turned and left Madam Pomfrey's office and headed for his quarters. His mind was full of dark thoughts. With the way Sarah had spoken to him about the incident, there should have been a physical injury. Yet, Severus had known there wouldn't be. The fact that the injury was all in Morley's mind complicated matters greatly.

He wondered how long the boy's condition would last. Madam Pomfrey seemed to think it was just a matter of time before the situation reversed itself. He was as certain as she was about that.

Severus wondered if Sarah's ability to manipulate her own mind with magic could extend to the minds of others. As far as he knew, she had not been taught Legilimency. She had not been taught Occlumency either, but she had shown a natural talent for it. He needed to speak with her to find out what she had done to Morley. Severus feared that she had made a permanent change in his mind somehow.

**********

Severus watched Sarah during lunch and approached her when she was finished eating. "I need to speak with you. Would you come to my office with me?"

Sarah nodded in agreement and followed him. Once in his office, she said, "This is about last night. Isn't it?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"No," he answered without hesitation.

She paused before asking, "Is Draco in trouble?"

"No. This isn't about Mr. Malfoy." He sighed as he contemplated how to proceed. "I've been to see Madam Pomfrey."

Sarah showed no reaction.

"Mr. Morley will be fine. She seems to think his _injury_ is completely psychological and that he shall return to normal soon."

Sarah made a soft noise that he would have missed had he not been listening for it.

"You have a different opinion on the matter?" Severus asked.

Sarah looked at him in surprise.

"You may be able to shield your thoughts from me, but I can still read body language, and I am not deaf." He took a step closer to her. "What did you do to the boy? How long will it last?"

Sarah stared into his eyes. "I made his worst fear come true."

"What fear would that be?" he asked, growing impatient.

"What do most boys his age fear the most?" She stopped, seeming to give the matter some thought. "He seemed to want sex all the time. I guess his greatest fear would be that he would never be able to have sex again or something like that. It was really difficult to make sense of his mind."

That confirmed what Severus feared. She was a natural at Legilimency, or at the very least, she was able to read surface thoughts and emotions easily. He was now more determined than ever to keep her away from any of Voldemort's followers. If any of them had any idea of her natural talents, they would snatch her away in an instant. He hated to think what they would do to her.

He gave himself a mental shake to bring his thoughts back to the matter at hand. "And how long will it last?" he asked.

"That depends on him," Sarah said. "All he needs to do is change the way he thinks about girls, and it will reverse itself. As long as he continues to think of girls as sex objects, he won't be able to have sex."

"He will be impotent until he no longer has a desire for sexual intercourse?" he asked.

"No. He will be impotent until he no longer has a desire to force himself onto others," she explained. "He needs to stop thinking of sex as anything except as a loving act between two consenting people."

"That may never happen," Severus told her.

"If you knew what he said to me - "

"What did he say?" he asked.

"It's better if you don't know," she said. "Mum told me about your temper. She says I got my temper from you. If you knew what he said, you would do something horrible. I know because I wanted to do all kinds of bad things to him. I couldn't decide what to do and finally let him choose his own punishment."

"I see," he whispered.

"Is that all?" Sarah asked, obviously impatient to leave.

"There is one other matter we need to discuss. You need to know that these abilities of yours are not common, especially in a witch your age."

"I know," she said. "Mum is worried about it."

"You should be worried as well. If Voldemort's followers - the Death Eaters - ever discovered who you are and what you can do, it would make what Mr. Morley wanted to do to you seem like a lover's kiss."

"I thought you didn't know what he said to me."

"I don't," he said. "But I know Voldemort and his Death Eaters. No boy his age would be able to imagine anything as horrible as what they would do."

"Does this have anything to do with Draco's father?"

Severus briefly wondered how much she know about Lucius Malfoy. "Yes."

"Draco doesn't like his father much," Sarah said.

"Did he tell you this?" Severus asked.

"We talked a lot last night while dancing. Draco said that nothing he does is ever good enough for his father. He doesn't think he does well enough in school, and he's afraid of what his father wants him to do after he's finished with school. He didn't give me details, but I could see enough of his thoughts to know what kind of man his father is."

"Draco's father is a Death Eater, Sarah. You need to be very cautious around Draco. Be careful what you say and do around him. Even if he doesn't intend to tell his father anything, Lucius Malfoy has ways of learning what his son knows."

Sarah took a long time to respond to this information, but Severus quietly waited. Finally Sarah spoke, "Draco doesn't have any real friends here. He just has people that follow him around because of his family. I want to be his friend."

Severus sighed again. This was not going to be easy for him. "As much as I dislike the idea, your mother agrees with you. She thinks that having you as a friend will be good for Draco."

"But you still worry?" she asked.

"I am your father. It is my job to worry about you." He stared into her eyes. "Promise me that you will be cautious."

"I promise."

Severus had a difficult time letting Sarah spend her time with Draco. It eased his mind somewhat knowing that Emma was keeping an eye on them, but he didn't think that any of the three knew what Lucius Malfoy was capable of doing. Draco didn't like his father, but Severus doubted that he knew the full extent of his father's sordid past.

**************  
TBC in Part 10  
**************


	10. part 10

**********

 **Part 10**

By the time the champions were preparing for the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, Severus could no longer ignore the signs. His Dark Mark was black, and that could only mean one thing. Voldemort would be returning soon. He didn't know how it would happen, but it would happen.

The day before the third task, Emma had a vision. She refused to tell Severus all the details, and he didn't force them from her. She did tell him that he would be called before the champions were done with the task. She advised him to ignore the call. He would give away his secret if he Apparated with the others.

"You will be sent later by Dumbledore," Emma told him. "Voldemort will be angry, but you must wait."

Emma was right. Near the end of the third task, he felt the Dark Mark burn. His instincts told him to Apparate to Voldemort. It was years of conditioning, and it took all his willpower to ignore the call. He would go to Voldemort later when he knew his secrets would not be discovered by either side.

When Harry returned with the dead body of Cedric Diggory, Severus was surprised. If Harry had seen Voldemort, he should not have survived. Voldemort wanted nothing more than to kill Harry Potter himself. However, after listening to Harry relate his story to Dumbledore, there was no doubt. Voldemort had returned, and Harry had just barely escaped with his life.

After all other matters were attended to, Dumbledore turned his attention to Severus. "Severus," said Dumbledore, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready ... if you are prepared ..."

"I am," said Snape.

Of course, he knew exactly what Dumbledore needed from him. He was to go to Voldemort and prove that he was still a Death Eater. He needed to secure his place at the Dark Lord's side. It was also his task to convince the Dark Lord to let him remain at Hogwarts in the capacity of a spy. It would not be an easy task. If he wasn't careful, he could lose himself completely.

For the first time, he was thankful for the lessons he had received from Sarah. After the Christmas holiday, he had asked Sarah to teach him her methods of doing magic. None of it was a bit logical to him at first. Then he began to feel it working, and he started to understand. He didn't fully understand the wordless magic yet, but he knew much more about controlling his mind and protecting his thoughts. He hoped it was enough to protect himself.

**********

Severus barely knew what was happening to him. The Dark Lord was angry that he hadn't Apparated to his side immediately when called. Pain seared through him as he was questioned. Severus knew what questions Voldemort would ask and had answers prepared. He had recited the answers several times a day for months until he was absolutely certain he could answer no matter what was happening. He didn't even need to think about the answers.

However, answering the questions was only part of what was required of him. He had to prove without a doubt that he was still a loyal Death Eater. This was the task Sarah had helped him prepare for. He did not want to lose himself to this, and Sarah would help ground him.

Before leaving Hogwarts, Severus had locked away all his thoughts and memories the way Sarah had taught him. Only he had the key to them. In a separate part of his mind he held onto a happy memory of Sarah, a memory of working side by side with her in his classroom over the summer. He let out memories of the terrible things he had done in his life. He needed memories to show the Dark Lord, and many of the punishments he had handed out to students over the years would suffice. He also knew the Dark Lord would expect more. He would have to perform a task for him. It would be unavoidable.

Before the Dark Lord ordered the murder of the Muggles and their wizard son, Severus knew that the only way to please him would be to kill for him. He kept the memory of Sarah in his mind while he tortured and killed the family. He had to keep himself sane for Sarah. She was the thread that would keep him from tumbling over the edge.

Voldemort was pleased to have him back in his services. When Severus informed him that Dumbledore trusted him completely, Voldemort laughed and called the Headmaster a fool. Severus was sent back to Hogwarts to gather information. The Dark Lord was as eager for information on Dumbledore as he was for information on Harry Potter.

Severus used the last of his strength to Apparate to Hogsmeade. From there he used the Floo Network to travel back to his office inside the castle. Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were both waiting for him.

Before he could tell Dumbledore anything, the room went black as he passed out.

**************  
TBC in Part 11  
**************


	11. Part 11

**********

 **Part 11 (NC-17 for this part)**

Severus woke in the Hospital Wing. Sarah was at his side and Emma was talking to Dumbledore on the other side of the room.

"He's awake," Sarah said.

Dumbledore and Emma hurried over to the bed.

"Severus, we were worried that you wouldn't wake," Emma said. "How do you feel?"

It took him a moment to think about the question. "I hurt," he said. He wanted to say more, but his throat was so dry that he could barely get the words out. "Water," he said in a whisper.

Madam Pomfrey appeared at his side with a glass of water. He took a sip and winced. It hurt to swallow. Something had been added to the water. He knew it would help his throat, and he drank slowly for several minutes before he tried to talk again.

"Everything hurts," he said. He was pleased when his throat no longer hurt.

"It's no wonder. With the condition you arrived in, we could barely recognize you. We were surprised when you survived the first night," Poppy said.

"Poppy, will you leave us alone for a few minutes?" Dumbledore asked. "We have some important matters to discuss."

"Of course, but he needs his rest," Poppy said.

Once he was certain she was gone, Severus said, "Voldemort would never injure me enough to kill me. He knows when to stop. One more curse would have finished me. He knew that."

"So, he is convinced you are loyal to him?" Dumbledore asked.

"He is," Severus said. "I left no room for doubt. I answered all his questions. I took his punishment and performed the task he had for me." He looked around the room. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Six days," Emma said. "Sarah never left your side. She was convinced that you wouldn't wake up without her help."

Severus turned his attention to his daughter. "You talked to me. I heard you."

"Yes," Sarah said. "I remembered that you said I would be your lifeline. I stayed here and talked to you every day. Sometimes I read to you, but mostly I just talked about the weather or what I ate that day."

"Thank you," he said. "I think you brought me back."

"Now that you're awake, we need to plan our next move," Dumbledore said. "I think we need to contact the members of the Order of the Phoenix. I do believe there is a war starting."

**********

After two more days in the Hospital Wing, Severus left and walked down to the dungeon to his quarters. As he reached the Potions classroom he saw Emma waiting for him. She smiled and followed him inside.

"I had a vision," she said.

He closed the door and spun around to face her. Anger welled up inside him. He'd been in the Hospital Wing for over a week, and the first thought on her mind was a vision. "I suppose you need my help," he sneered.

Emma shrank back from his glare. "It's not like that." She took a step back but didn't look away. "I need your advice."

He took a step towards her. "I've returned from the brink of death and you want to talk about visions. You are no better than Dumbledore or the Dark Lord." He spun and walked to the door at the opposite end of the classroom. Before he reached the door, Emma spoke again.

"You don't understand," she said. "This is different from the other visions."

He knew she was right behind him, but he didn't turn to look at her. "What makes this one any different from the others you've had?"

She grabbed his arm. "It's about me. I've never had one about myself before."

"I'm certain you don't need my help to interpret a vision about yourself." He opened the door to his office.

As he pried her fingers from his arm, she spoke again. "Please, Severus. I don't know how to stop it this time. I only know that you can either stop it or make it worse."

"Perhaps, if I do nothing, it won't happen at all. Have you considered that?" When she didn't respond, he continued. "I take orders from Dumbledore. I take orders from the Dark Lord. I am caught in the middle of this war. I don't need orders from a third side. I have enough to worry about as it is. I don't have any time to myself. All my time belongs to others. Do you have any idea what it's like to live that way?"

Emma shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't think. This could have waited." She reached up and touched his face. "How are you? What do you need?" she asked.

The feel of her hand on his face triggered something. He pulled her into the office and slammed the door shut. "What do I need?" He pushed her against the door and held her there with his gaze. "I don't think I've ever been asked that question. What about what I want? I don't think I've been asked that very often."

"What do you want, Severus?" Emma asked.

He leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss. He was pleased when she responded. She leaned into him and tried to guide him to his quarters. The door to his quarters seemed so far away. He pushed her back against the door, and heard her moan in response.

He pulled back a little. "What I want is you."

She wound her hands behind his head and pulled him close again. She kissed him passionately, and he felt the tip of her tongue slid along his lips.

As he opened his mouth to her, he snaked his hands down and lifted her robes.

She broke the kiss as she gasped. "Severus," she whispered against his lips.

He trailed kisses along her cheek to her ear. He felt her breathing and her heartbeat quicken. "You want me too?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered.

He slipped a finger beneath her knickers and found that she was wet and ready for him. With a quick silent spell, he made the knickers disappear. He felt her shiver in response.

"Table," she suggested.

He lifted her and quickly sat her on the nearest table. He heard her moan as he again lifted her robes. As he opened his robes, he watched her lean back on the table. He was rapidly losing all control. When she reached down and touched herself, it was too much for him. He grabbed her hips and plunged himself deep inside her.

For a moment he stayed still, enjoying the feel of her, but soon he began moving in and out of her with increasing speed. He was so caught up in his own pleasure that he was surprised to hear Emma shout his name as she climaxed. That pushed himself over the edge. He emptied himself inside her as his movements slowed.

He leaned down to kiss her, but she unexpectedly pushed him away.

"No," she said.

"Emma, I'm sorry," he said when he realized she was crying. "I shouldn't have ... I thought you wanted ... "

"I did want this," she said through her tears. "But ... " She turned and opened the door. "I have to be alone right now."

He watched in confusion as she transformed into a cat and ran away.

**************  
TBC in Part 12  
**************


	12. Part 12

**********

 **Part 12**

Severus worried when he didn't see Emma for most of the summer. When he asked Sarah about her, he was told that Emma was fine but didn't want to see him. Sarah either didn't know what had happened to her mother, or she didn't want him to know. Either way, it disturbed him greatly. Something had happened, and he needed to know what it was.

He asked Sarah about Emma's visions. He received even less information about those.

Reluctantly, he went to visit the Headmaster.

"Severus, what is troubling you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Have you seen Emma this summer?" he asked.

"I have not," Dumbledore said. "Though Sarah has been to see me a few times."

Severus hadn't been expecting that bit of news. "Sarah?"

"Hmmm. It seems that Emma has been having more frequent visions this summer. They need help managing the situation." Dumbledore paused to gaze at Fawkes, the phoenix. "They obviously kept this from you."

Severus nodded. "What help did Sarah want?"

"I do not know the exact details as she would not share them with me," Dumbledore said, turning to face Severus again. "However, I suspect they are removing the visions from her mind and placing them in storage. I have been providing unbreakable vials for them to use. Sarah found a Room of Requirement on her own."

" _A_ Room of Requirement?" Severus asked. "I thought there was only one."

Dumbledore laughed. "Everyone that finds one of the rooms seems to think they found the only one. The truth is that there are many of them throughout the castle. Why else do you think it is rumored to change locations?"

"How many are there?" Severus asked.

"As many rooms as there have been Headmasters," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "Each Headmaster has added one to the castle upon taking the position. I am certain the tradition will continue after I die." He regarded Severus more seriously. "What is really on your mind, Severus?"

"I am fairly certain I triggered Emma's visions," Severus said. "After I was released from the Hospital Wing, Emma found me. She wanted to discuss a vision she'd had. I was tired and angry and told her to leave me alone. We ... I said some things that I should not have said to her. Before long, she and I ... "

He looked at Dumbledore. Over the years he had told the Headmaster many things in disturbing detail, but he couldn't bring himself to tell him what happened with Emma. Dumbledore looked at him and gave a nod of understanding for which he was grateful.

"We both wanted it. No one was forced, but I admit that I concentrated on my own pleasure more than hers. When we had finished, she was terrified. I could see it in her eyes. She left quickly without allowing me to know what happened. I haven't seen her since that day, and Sarah has not given me any information on her."

"I see," Dumbledore said. "You are worried about her. Did she tell you anything about the first vision?"

"The vision she had before she came to me was about herself. That has never happened before. It scared her. She said I had the power to stop it or make it worse. I fear I have made it worse. If I had taken the time to listen ..."

"Severus, do not let your emotions rule you. You need to step back and look at this logically. There is no way you could have known how the encounter would end. It may be that she would have had the vision even if she hadn't gone to see you that day. Wait until she is ready to share it with you."

Severus had to admit that Dumbledore was right, but he hated not being in control.

**********

Severus busied himself with preparing his lessons for the new school year. He also met with the Order of the Phoenix to start formulating a war plan and to share information. Voldemort had only summoned him a few times that summer, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he was summoned more frequently. He hoped he knew more about Emma's visions before it became too frequent.

Two weeks before the start of school, Sarah came to him with news of Emma. "I need to show you something," she said. She led him to a small room near the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. "It's the Room of Requirement." After they had entered the room, she said, "Mum's memories of her visions are stored here. The vials are unbreakable and they've had spells cast on them. Only four people can touch them: you, Dumbledore, Mum and me. Mum put dates on them all, too. The dates are when you can view them. There's a spell on them to prevent them from being viewed too soon."

He knew he wouldn't like the answer, but he felt compelled to ask, "Why do all this?"

"One of her visions this summer really scared her. She won't talk to me about it, but I think -"

She was interrupted by a noise outside the room. It sounded like someone was attempting to break into the room. Severus pulled out his wand and stepped in front of Sarah. He couldn't imagine who could know about the room. He walked closer to the entrance and listened carefully. After a moment he realized what he was hearing, and it wasn't what he'd first thought. It sounded more like a soft scratching at the door.

"Emma!" he shouted in realization as he threw open the door.

He knew something was terribly wrong the moment he saw her. She was still in her cat form and she was slumped on her side, pawing at the place where the door had been. He bent, picked her up and carried her inside. Sarah closed the door behind them.

As he placed Emma carefully on the floor, he realized that she was trying to transform, but she didn't seem able to do it. With a flick of his wand and a silent spell, he transformed her back into her human form. "Emma, you need to see Madam Pomfrey. Sarah, get her and bring her here."

"No," Emma whispered. He voice was raspy and he had a difficult time understanding her, but the look in her eyes was clear. She did not want anyone else to know about the room or the vials in it. "I will see her after."

"After?" Sarah asked the question at the same time he did.

"Mum, you need her. You ..."

"She can't help. I've seen it." Emma fumbled for her wand. "I need vials."

With a sick feeling in his stomach, Severus knew why Emma had come to the Room of Requirement instead of seeking medical attention. She'd had more visions. He knew he had to help her. He had to help make things right. Sarah had apparently come to the same conclusion. She had several vials ready to use.

He placed the wand in Emma's hand and helped her hold it steady as she pulled the memories from her mind. After each one, she whispered a date. Sarah made sure that each one was labeled properly. Once they were done, he watched in amazement as Sarah silently cast a spell on each one. They glowed orange for a moment before returning to normal.

"We need to get her to Madam Pomfrey. Now!" Severus said. As he conjured a stretcher for her, Sarah mumbled something about running ahead to let Madam Pomfrey know they were coming. As he floated the stretcher out of the room and sealed the door behind him, he whispered to Emma, "Just rest now. You'll be better soon." It was a lie, and they both knew it.

**************  
TBC in Part 13  
**************


	13. Part 13

**********

 **Part 13**

Severus knew what Madam Pomfrey was going to say before she said it. He just didn't know what had caused it.

"Her injuries are too severe. She only has a short time left," Madam Pomfrey said.

"St. Mungo's," Sarah suggested. "They could help."

"They could have helped her if she'd gone to them sooner, but now all we can do is make her comfortable." She gave them both a look of regret before leaving them alone with Emma.

"The visions were more important," Emma said. Her voice wasn't as raspy. Madam Pomfrey must have given her something to help.

Severus nodded and took her hand in his. He didn't trust himself to talk just yet. After a few minutes, he asked, "What happened?"

"I went to see Sirius about a vision. I had to warn him. He's always been reckless, but this time it will kill him. He didn't believe my warning. He laughed at me ... just like he did when we were in school together."

"I'm sorry, Emma." He squeezed her hand and watched Sarah take hold of her other hand. "How did you get hurt?"

"I was on my way back here. I had more visions while with Sirius. I needed to get back here to save them." She looked up at Sarah and then at Severus. "I had just Apparated into Hogsmeade, right beside a group of Death Eaters. I knew I would draw their attention if I Disapparated or if I ran. I walked away and transformed. As a cat, I can run faster and not draw attention. I know it was foolish. I could have found another solution, but all I could think of was getting back here with the visions before someone noticed me."

"I don't understand," Sarah said. "Did one of them see you and curse you?"

"No." Emma took a deep breath and winced. "I should have known better than to transform in my condition. I never did it when I was pregnant with you."

"Pregnant?" Severus asked.

The sudden realization of what had happened earlier that summer made him sick. Her vision had been triggered because she had become pregnant. He was responsible for this because he hadn't controlled himself.

"This is my fault," he whispered.

Sarah stared at him. "Your fault? How?"

"I had a vision. I didn't understand it," Emma said. "I knew I was in danger and that he could either save me or ..." She looked away from them both. "At the moment I became pregnant, I had another vision. I saw that I was going to die. I didn't know when or where or how to prevent it. Each time I had another vision, I hoped it would give me more answers. None of them did. Those were the only two visions I've ever had about myself."

Severus couldn't meet Sarah's gaze. When he saw Madam Pomfrey, he excused himself to talk to her. "How long does she have?"

"A day. Two at the most," she answered.

"What happened?" he asked.

"When she transformed, the baby did not. The baby was too large." She met his gaze with tears in her eyes. "Her internal injuries are too great. I think in her haste to run away from the Death Eaters, she made her injuries much worse."

**********

Severus watched Sarah as she talked with Harry after the funeral. They were the last two of the Potter line, and Harry Potter was the last to have the name. As much as Severus had despised both James and Harry Potter, he hope that Harry would live to carry on the name. They couldn't let The Dark Lord have that victory.

He supposed that Sarah could change her name back to Potter as he was certain it should have been. Emma had given Sarah his name, but they were both Potters. Nothing would change that. He knew it would only take a few charms to change the records. Sarah might even want to change her name, especially now that she blamed Severus for her mother's death.

Sarah had avoided him completely since the day Emma died. Now as he watched her talk with Harry, he wondered if Harry would blame him as well. He understood how they must feel. He blamed himself as well, just as he blamed himself for Lily's death. He hoped that they could put it all behind them soon. It would be impossible to follow Emma's plan for them if things continued this way.

After the funeral, he had retreated to the castle entrance. He did not want to talk to anyone. He just wanted to be alone. He had actually planned on going inside to his quarters, but he stopped to watch Harry and Sarah talk. He really didn't know why he felt compelled to watch them, but he tried to do it without being too obvious.

He cursed under his breath when he noticed Sarah marching over to him. When she reached him, she shoved him back against the stone wall of the castle. He was caught completely off guard. He had been prepared for curses and hexes, but a show of physical violence surprised him.

"Sarah, I'm sorry," he whispered.

"SORRY?" she screamed. "SORRY ISN'T ENOUGH. SORRY WON'T BRING HER BACK." She slammed her fists against his chest. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT." She hit him again.

He didn't attempt to stop her. He understood her anger. He felt it too. He wanted nothing more than to go into his office and destroy everything. It would make him feel better for a moment, but it wouldn't help anything.

"I know you're angry, but what would you have me do?" He kept his voice calm and quiet.

That seemed to anger her more. She seemed to want him to fight back. _No,_ he told himself. _She wants me to stop her._ But he knew she needed to deal with the anger. If he didn't let her hit him, he didn't know what she might do. He was just thankful that she was taking her anger out physically and not magically.

She continued to pound her hands against his chest for several minutes. Occasionally she would scream or yell. He could no longer understand her words. They were mixed with her sobs now. Tears were falling down her face freely. She wasn't trying to hold them in anymore.

After a while, her strength seemed to leave her, and when she hit him the last time, she grabbed onto his robes to keep herself from falling. It was then that he finally put his arms around her and held her. He didn't say a word as he let her cry against his chest.

He began to wonder if there had been magic in her anger or in her tears because he felt himself letting go of the anger. He held her tighter, afraid to let go, as he let his own tears fall.

**************  
TBC in Part 14  
**************


	14. Part 14

**********

 **Part 14**

It took several weeks for Sarah to start trusting Severus again. He assumed it was because she thought of Emma every time she saw him. He noticed she didn't spend much time with Harry once the school year began. Harry stayed with his friends. Severus saw Sarah mostly with her fellow Ravenclaws, but occasionally he saw her with Draco.

This didn't annoy him quite as much as it had the previous year. Draco seemed to be one of the few students that Dolores Umbridge didn't harass. By spending time with Draco, Sarah seemed to be keeping attention away from herself. That was a relief for Severus. The last thing he needed was Umbridge questioning his parenting skills or asking about Sarah's mother. It was enough trouble to have the woman question him about his position at Hogwarts and about his teaching methods. If he could have hexed her without the Ministry of Magic sending more people in to investigate, he would have done so in an instant. Some days, he was sorely tempted to hex her anyway.

He was busy trying to keep out of Umbridge's way that he almost forgot about the Room of Requirement and the visions held there. He remembered almost too late two days before the end of term. Late that evening he rushed to the Room of Requirement and grabbed the vial for that date. He quickly emptied the contents into the Pensieve and viewed it. Immediately, he called Professor Dumbledore and then the Weasley family. It seemed that they had already been alerted to the trouble. Harry had a dream that mirrored what he had seem in Emma's vision.

"Sorry, Professor," he told Severus. "I forgot to ready my mind before I went to sleep tonight. I think Voldemort was in my mind."

Severus hated to praise Harry for acting foolishly, but he had also been foolish and had missed viewing the vision when he should have. "It seems it worked out for the best this time, Mr. Potter. You alerted everyone before I did. You may have saved a life tonight. We will need to discuss the matter further."

Severus shared a look with Dumbledore. They both knew that Harry had been lucky. Had The Dark Lord wanted to invade Harry's mind that night, it would have been disastrous. As it was, it seemed as though The Dark Lord had unknowingly projected what he was doing into Harry's dreams. They would need to make sure it would not happen again. They could not afford to have The Dark Lord discover that his most loyal follower was actually a spy for Dumbledore.

Harry stayed behind while the Weasleys traveled by Floo Network to number twelve Grimmauld Place. From there they would go see Arthur Weasley at St. Mungo's. Dumbledore assured Harry that he would be able to join them just as soon as he and Severus were certain that he had full control over his mind.

Both Dumbledore and Severus tested Harry. When they were both satisfied, Dumbledore placed a spell on Harry to remind him to check that his memories and thoughts were locked away. The spell would activate before bedtime and again upon waking. It would ensure that Harry's memories would remain safe from The Dark Lord.

**********

Severus was horrified to realize that the Weasleys would be the ones to help Sarah and himself heal their relationship. It didn't happen directly, but it was because of the attack on Arthur Weasley that Sarah came to see him in his office just after the start of the Christmas holiday.

He was busy taking inventory of his potion ingredients when he heard a soft knock at the door. He knew immediately that it must be Sarah. No student would dare bother him during the holiday, and the teachers and staff used the Floo to contact him.

He walked over to the door and opened it. As soon as he saw Sarah, he knew something had happened. She didn't give him a chance to inquire about it.

"I had a vision," she said. "I've never had them before, but I heard Mum describe them to me often enough to know that I had one."

"A vision?" he asked. It was the last thing he had expected. Emma had visions. He accepted that. He trusted her visions. Of course, he knew that the gift for visions was often passed on to children and grandchildren. He just had never imagined that Sarah would inherit the gift herself.

"Yes," she said. "I had a vision of a potion. We need to brew it now." She walked past him and started looking through his potion ingredients. She had pulled down several jars and lined them up on the table before he realized what she was doing.

He grabbed her shoulders and stopped her as she started to climb the ladder to reach the more dangerous ingredients. "Stop for a moment and tell me what happened."

She stepped down from the ladder and turned to face him. "I saw how to brew a potion to save Mr. Weasley. The healers at St. Mungo's can't help him. We need to do it. It's important."

He glared at her, knowing there was more to it than that.

"We have to know if it works before we make it for you," she said.

"And just why would we need it for me?" he asked. "I have not been attacked by The Dark Lord's snake. I am not in need of a cure."

"Not yet," she said. "But later, you will need it." She tried to pull away from him, but he held her tight.

"Did you see that in your vision?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. "I saw it in one of Mum's visions before we put the date spells on them." She stared up at him. "I don't want you to die."

He stared into her eyes and saw nothing but her concern for him. He saw no more of the bitterness or anger that he had seen since Emma's death. He drew her into a brief embrace before guiding her to the table. "I will find the ingredients you need," he said as he climbed the ladder. "Tell me what you need."

He tried not to let his surprise at the collection of ingredients show. She had the vision, and she seemed confident that the potion would work to save Arthur Weasley. However, the ingredients she insisted on using were never used together in potions. Many of them were deadly when combined together.

"Are you certain about this one?" he asked as he placed the final jar on the table.

She nodded. "Yes. That is the most important one."

Severus stared at Sarah as she arranged the ingredients on the table. He assumed she was arranging them in the order they would be needed. She suddenly seemed much older than thirteen.

"Tell me how to help," he said.

She smiled at him and handed him a small jar. "Grind three of these into a fine powder."

He nodded and took the jar from her. It seemed strange that she was teaching him, but it also felt right in a way he couldn't explain.

They worked together for several hours on the potion. Sarah guided him as to how to prepare the ingredients, how much to use, how to add them and when to add them. Severus guided her in how to properly handle delicate ingredients and how to protect herself from many of them.

He enjoyed the time they spent brewing the potion, and he hoped she did as well. If the smile she gave him when the potion was complete was any indication, she had enjoyed it very much.

They filled several vials of the potion. She stored a few of them in the office. "We will take these to the Room of Requirement," she said, putting three in her pocket. She handed him one. "Keep this one with you. Always." She held up the last vial. "We need to take this to St. Mungo's right away."

After a brief stop to hide three of the vials in the Room of Requirement, they hurried to the nearest fireplace in the Floo Network and traveled to St. Mungo's.

Harry and the Weasleys were not pleased to see him at all, but Sarah quickly explained her vision and the potion. They were still reluctant, but Molly Weasley said that the decision should be left up to Arthur Weasley. She led Sarah and Severus to his room and waited by the door as they talked to him.

"Mr. Weasley," Severus said. "We believe we may have found a cure for you."

"Really?" Arthur asked. Severus could hear the skepticism in his voice.

Sarah held the vial out to him. "Please, Mr. Weasley," she said. "We spent all day brewing it for you. Please try it."

"How did you come by this potion?" he asked.

"I saw it in a vision," she said.

Severus saw the distrustful look in Arthur's eyes. He took the vial from Sarah, opened it and took a sip. Arthur watched him for several minutes before he was certain Severus wasn't going to die from the potion.

Finally, he took the potion from Sarah and drank it. "It tastes like cinnamon."

It took very little time for the potion to work. Within an hour the healers had pronounced him fit to leave the hospital.

**************  
TBC in Part 15  
**************


	15. Part 15

**********

 **Part 15**

The Weasleys invited Severus and Sarah to have dinner with them. The thought of dining with them at the Burrow was appalling. However, when they explained that they would be going to number twelve Grimmauld Place, he reluctantly agreed. He would almost rather go to the Burrow. At least Sirius Black and Remus Lupin would not be at the Burrow. He had agreed to Dumbledore's request to be civil with the two men, but he still didn't like working with them or dining with them.

Sirius gave Sarah an odd look when he saw her, and Severus had the sudden urge to protect her from him. "Where is your ... cat?" he asked.

Severus doubted that Sirius actually cared. He was just making conversation.

Sarah and Harry shared a look before she answered, "She died."

He doubted that anyone else noticed it, but Severus watched the emotions drift across Sarah's face. She clearly thought Sirius was to blame as well for her mother's death. Severus wondered what might happen if he let Sarah speak to Sirius alone. The thought of what she might do made him smile. Then the thought of Dumbledore's reaction made him realize he couldn't allow that to happen.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said.

"No," Sarah said. "You're not." She stepped towards him, but Harry stepped between them. "You didn't care about her at all."

Behind him, Severus could hear the Weasleys talking in whispers.

"Why would he care about a cat?" Arthur asked.

"She wasn't a cat," Ron said. "She was an Animagus."

"Why would that matter?" Molly asked.

"The cat was her mother," Ron said.

Severus turned his attention back to Sarah and Sirius. He would worry about the Weasleys later.

"Sarah," Harry said. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Sarah ignored Harry. "She cared about you," she said. "She cared about you enough to come see you about her visions. She saw that you would be in danger, but you didn't believe her."

Harry tried to pull her away from Sirius, but she pulled out of his grip.

"If she hadn't come here to warn you, she would still be alive. She came here to try to save your life, and you laughed at her. You laughed at her the same you did when you were in school together."

"Did you really expect me to believe anything she had to say?" Sirius said. "She had a history of associating with a known Death Eater. How could I trust her?"

"You trust him." She pointed at Severus.

"No," Sirius said. "Dumbledore trusts him. I do not. I only tolerate his presence on Dumbledore's orders."

She opened her mouth to say something but shut it. Turning to Severus, she said, "I don't think we're welcome here. I want to leave."

Sirius’ laugh was harsh and low, like the bark of a large dog. "You are just like your mother. Run away when things get tough. Run into the arms of the Death Eater."

Severus could tell that Sarah was trying desperately to keep control, and he could see that she was quickly losing that battle. Before he could stop her, she spun back around to face Sirius again.

"I am not running away to hide or because I am afraid for myself or my father. I am leaving because if I stay, I will certainly do something I will regret. I can't believe my mother ever loved you. You are a selfish, arrogant bastard. I don't know how she ever thought you might love her in return. It's no wonder she turned to my father for comfort."

Sirius laughed again. "Speaking of selfish, arrogant bastards, I hear you've been spending time with Draco Malfoy, too."

Severus thought she was going to hex him for that comment. He understood why Sarah was friends with Draco, but he knew that no one else would understand.

Sarah took a deep breath and turned back to Severus. "Let's leave. We saved Ron's father. That's all we came to do. We don't need to stay."

Without waiting for a reaction from anyone, Severus walked out of the building with Sarah and Disapparated with her.

**********

Severus and Sarah Apparated at the gates to Hogwarts. They walked in silence up the path to the entrance. It wasn't until they were inside that either of them spoke.

"I'm sorry about that," she said. "I shouldn't have acted that way. It's just when he said those terrible things about Mum, it made me angry."

"There is no need to apologize to me," he said. "You had every right to be angry with him. I wish I could blame his behavior on his time in Azkaban or on being locked in that house for six months." He looked at Sarah a moment. "But the truth is that he has always been that way. I never understood what your mother liked about him."

"I almost hexed him," she admitted, blushing.

"I noticed." He smiled at her.

"He shouldn't judge Draco on the things his father does. Draco isn't a Death Eater, and he doesn't want to be one," she said as they reached the Potions classroom.

Severus unlocked his office so they could talk without fear of being overheard. Once they were inside with the door closed and locked, he finally responded. "Did Draco tell you that?"

"Yes, but I would have known it even if he hadn't told me. He's scared and wants to do the right thing, but he doesn't know what the right thing is." She sat and stared at the floor.

"Have you told him anything about me?" Severus asked. He knew she hadn't, but he needed to ask for his own peace of mind.

"No." She looked up at him. "He thinks I am struggling with the same problem. I've let him think that you are loyal to Voldemort and that I don't like it." Severus glared at her, and she quickly explained. "I didn't tell him that. He suggested it one day, but I didn't deny it. I didn't say anything actually. I just let him believe it."

Severus thought about Draco while Sarah thumbed through some books on potions. He was certain that Draco was afraid of his father. Draco would do whatever his father asked to avoid his rage. Severus had been on the receiving end of Lucius Malfoy's rage a few times. He couldn't imagine what it would be like for someone as young as Draco to experience it.

Emma had wanted Sarah to become friends with Draco, but Severus feared that it wouldn't be enough. Draco needed a push in the right direction, and he needed to turn his fear of his father into anger. Of course, Draco would need to be tested to see where is loyalties lie, and he would need to be taught to shield his mind from his father and The Dark Lord. Sarah would be able to teach him. Still, he couldn't take a chance that Draco would give away their secrets. There were ways of insuring that Draco was loyal to the right people. Some of those ways, such as the unbreakable vow, had to be performed willingly. Other methods could be used without consent.

"Father, did you hear me?" Sarah's question brought his attention back to her.

"No, Sarah. What did you say?" he asked.

"Mum told me something before she died," she said. "She told me to teach you how to do magic my way. She said it would save your life. I was so angry with you before that I completely forgot."

"What caused you to remember?" He had forgotten that Emma had said Sarah was there to guide him. This must be what she had meant.

She pointed to a page in the book she was reading. "The instructions for this potion are different than any I've read before. I know that when you make potions, it's not all ingredients and stirring. There is magic involved. A Muggle wouldn't be able to take instructions for a spell and make it work."

"All right," he said. He was not certain where this was leading, and he waited for her explanation. "What is different about this particular potion." He looked over her shoulder at the text.

"In the instructions here." She pointed at a line. "It says, 'stir clockwise twenty times while holding the image of a five pointed star in your mind.' I find that odd. No other book contains spells with instructions like that. All the spells in this book have instructions like that."

Severus had never heard of any spells with instructions like those either. He knew he didn't have any books like that in his office. He grabbed the book and looked at the cover.

" _Most Imaginative Potions_ by Albus Dumbledore," Severus read. He thought back to when he had spoken to Dumbledore about Sarah and her method of performing magic. Dumbledore had said that creating magic took imagination. "He must have left it here for you." He handed the book back to Sarah and watched as she looked inside the front cover.

"There's a note here," she said. "It's from Dumbledore. 'Help is always a thought away. Albus Dumbledore.' That's strange. What does that mean?"

"I am certain you will know when the time is right. Professor Dumbledore always likes to leave messages like that. He likes puzzles."

She stared at the book for a moment before closing it and setting it down. "So," she said. "What were you thinking about so intently that you didn't hear me until I questioned you three times?"

"I was thinking about Draco Malfoy."

"You haven't changed your mind about him, have you? We're just friends. He hasn't done anything."

The way she suddenly panicked over a boy reminded Severus that Sarah was still a teenage girl. It was difficult for him to acknowledge that sometimes. She seemed mature beyond her years. Sometimes she reminded him of Hermione Granger. He gave himself a mental shake at that thought. He had no idea where that thought came from.

"Don't worry. I have not changed my mind about him," he said. "But we need to be certain where his loyalties lie. You will need to teach him how to shield his mind from his family and from The Dark Lord. You should have no trouble teaching him."

"But that's not all, is it?" Sarah asked. "We need to make Draco stay loyal."

"Yes we do."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I have a plan. It is dangerous, and it could work against us. However, I do think that Draco will choose to side with us once he sees his father for who he truly is." He glanced at Sarah's robes. "We will need to travel to Diagon Alley. You will need appropriate robes."

"My robes are fine. Why do I need new ones?" she asked as she looked down at her robes.

"Because we are going to have dinner with the Malfoys."

**************  
TBC in Part 16  
**************


	16. Part 16

**********

 **Part 16**

First thing after lunch the next day, Severus took Sarah to Diagon Alley to buy new robes. They entered Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and were greeted by Madam Malkin almost instantly. Severus spoke with her about what they needed and stepped aside to let the witch do her job. He knew that Madam Malkin had a good feel for the appropriate style and color for each of her customers. Sarah was no different.

The robes she wore appeared to be nothing more than simple black velvet robes. The simplicity of them made them more elegant than most other robes he'd seen. When she moved and the light caught the velvet, Severus realized that the robes were not black at all. They were actually a deep, dark green. They appeared black until the light hit them just the right way, and then you could see that they were green.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

Sarah blushed at his compliment. "Thank you."

Satisfied with the new robes, Severus paid Madam Malkin as Sarah changed back into her school robes.

When they were back in his office at Hogwarts, Sarah asked, "Have we been invited to the Malfoys?"

"Not yet," he answered. He handed her parchment and a quill. "You will send an owl to Draco. Tell him you miss his company and want to see him tonight. His parents will send an owl to me to invite us to dinner."

"You're sure about that?" she asked, clearly not believing it would be so simple.

"I know how Lucius Malfoy thinks. He would never miss an opportunity like this. Plus, he will think he has an advantage by having us in his home. Of course, he is wrong," Severus said.

Once the owl was sent to Draco, Severus started gathering ingredients. "While we wait, we have a potion to brew."

Just as they had finished bottling the potion, the owl arrived. "Lucius and Narcissa have requested our presence for dinner this evening," Severus read. He quickly scribbled a reply and sent the owl away.

"So, why do we need a potion? Is it for Draco's parents?" Sarah asked and she emptied the cauldron and put everything away.

"No, this potion is for Draco." He checked the stopper on the vial and placed it in his pocket. "You will need it later ... after you change." He handed her the robes they had purchased that morning. "I know you have questions. We will discuss it after you have bathed and changed. Meet me back here in an hour."

**********

An hour later, Sarah returned to the office. "So why do we need a potion for Draco?"

"We need to check his loyalties," Severus said.

"You've already told me that, but what does the potion do?" she asked.

"If we determine that Draco's loyalties lie with us - or more precisely - with you, this potion will bond him to you."

"Bond?" Sarah asked.

Severus saw the shocked expression on her face and realized immediately that he's chosen the wrong word. "That is perhaps the wrong word, but I don't know a more concise way to explain it. It will strengthen his friendship with you."

"Oh," she said. He could see the relief on her face. "I like Draco. He's a good friend, but I am too young to think about anything more than friendship."

"Now," he said as he handed her the vial of potion. "Put this in your pocket."

She took the vial from him and tucked it into the pocket of her robes. "How will I know when to use it, and won't his parents notice?"

Severus shook his head. "At some point during the evening, you must excuse yourself to use the loo." He held up his hand to forestall her obvious question. "It’s not necessary that you actually use it, but the Malfoys must think you are. Do not come back. Draco will be sent to find you. Keep him where neither of you can be seen but where you can hear Lucius and myself."

"Why? What are you going to do?" Sarah actually looked frightened.

"This is very important, Sarah. You will hear me say things, terrible things. What I say will be at least as horrible as what Sirius Black said yesterday. I want you to know that nothing bad I will say about you or your mother is true. I will only be attempting to placate Lucius and provoke Draco. Draco's reaction will tell you what side he has chosen. If he has chosen our side, you must use the potion on him."

"How do I use the potion?" Sarah asked.

"You must spill it on him. Be certain it touches his skin. If his clothing blocks it, it will not be as effective. Ideally, he should drink it, but that may be a difficult task to accomplish."

Sarah nodded. "I understand."

He grabbed his cloak. "It's time to go."

**************  
TBC in Part 17  
**************


	17. Part 17

**********

 **Part 17**

When they arrived, Narcissa greeted them. "Dinner will be served soon," she said. She led them to the dining room after a house elf took their cloaks from them.

Severus watched Sarah for a reaction. Despite never having been in a house like this previously, she showed no reaction. He supposed it could be because this dining room was nothing compared to the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It was either that or she had learned far greater control of her emotions than he had thought possible.

Lucius and Draco were waiting for them when they entered the dining room.

Severus accepted a glass of Ogden's Old Firewhisky from Lucius before they all sat at the table. Lucius sat at the head of the table. On one side sat Narcissa and on the other sat Draco. Sarah sat next to Draco while Severus sat next to Narcissa. Sarah appeared to be confused by the arrangement, but Severus had expected it. With Sarah next to Draco and across from himself, Severus felt that Sarah was sitting in the safest seat available.

Severus paid little attention to the conversation as they ate dinner. He followed the conversation easily enough, but his attention was on Draco. Draco's gaze turned to Sarah frequently during dinner. Severus began to wonder if he felt more than friendship for Sarah.

After dinner but before dessert, Sarah turned to Draco and asked quietly, "Where is the loo?"

Draco whispered instructions to her, and as Sarah stood, Draco stood. This caught Severus by surprise, and he nearly forgot to stand himself along with Lucius. Such formalities were not common at Hogwarts where they treated witches and wizards as equals. He'd forgotten that in families such as the Malfoys, they clung to these formal traditions.

After waiting a moment, Lucius turned to Draco. "She is younger than I expected, but if that is what you want ... " He didn't finish the statement, but everyone knew what he was thinking. The smirk on his face spoke volumes.

Severus kept his expression blank as he spoke. "Draco has informed me that his only _desire_ regarding Sarah is friendship." He took a sip of his Ogden's Old Firewhisky as he looked at Draco. He turned his attention back to Lucius. "However, he is a Slytherin, and we both know how cunning true Slytherins can be. I have no doubt he will take full advantage of of the time he spends with her.” He took another sip of his drink. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a look of contempt pass across Draco's face. He was certain Narcissa noticed it, but Lucius wasn't watching Draco.

Severus hoped that later Draco would realize the true meaning behind his words, but for now Draco appeared to be taking them at face value and was waiting to hear what his father would say.

"He wouldn't be a true Slytherin if he let a girl like that get away from him," Lucius said. He glanced at Draco. "I saw how you looked at her. It is nothing to be ashamed of, Draco. Men have needs. You could do much worse. She is not a Slytherin, but ... "

"At least she's not a Gryffindor," Severus finished for him.

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "She's been gone too long."

Narcissa gave a slight nod to Draco. "Go check on her."

After getting a nod of permission from Lucius, Draco left the dining room to look for Sarah.

Lucius took a sip of his Ogden's Old Firewhisky before continuing their conversation as if they had not been interrupted. "Ahh, Severus. I thought you liked Gryffindors. There is a rumor that Sarah's mother was a Gryffindor."

"She may have been, but I don't know." He took a slow sip of is drink. "I don't even know if Sarah is truly my daughter."

"You haven't tested her?" Lucius asked.

Narcissa rose from the table and grabbed the bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky. She filled Lucius' glass.

"No. It makes no difference to me either way. Just before her first year at Hogwarts, she was dumped on me. I received an unsigned letter from a woman who claimed I am Sarah's father. She had the audacity to give the girl my name without asking permission first." He watched Narcissa fill his glass with Ogden's Old Firewhisky and took another sip while he watched Narcissa take her seat again. "The girl doesn't even live with me. She lives in Ravenclaw tower with the others in her House. She spends her holidays there as well. I don't spend any time with her. Hogwarts and the House of Ravenclaw might as well be an orphanage as far I'm concerned. I really don't care what happens to the girl."

"I hear you danced with her at the Yule Ball last year." The smile on Lucius' face implied more than dancing had happened that night.

It took all his strength and willpower to not curse Lucius. He needed to be careful and not let his fatherly instincts give his true intentions away. "I am living among the enemy in my service to the Dark Lord. I had to keep up appearances. It would have drawn suspicion if I had not danced with her."

"And did you take advantage of the situation?" Lucius asked with a smile.

"It is _you_ that has a fetish for young girls, Lucius. I do not. I prefer more mature women," Severus said before draining his glass. When Narcissa started to get up to refill his glass, he placed a hand on her arm to stop her. "No thank you, Narcissa." It was obvious that she was trying to do what she could to keep her mind off Draco and Sarah. He saw the relief on her face when he said, "Draco should be back by now."

Lucius called a house elf. When it appeared, he demanded, "Find Draco." With a crack, the elf Disapparated.

A short time later, the elf returned. "Master Draco is not here."

Before the elf could say anything else, Lucius asked, "Where is Draco and the girl?"

"They is gone to Hogwarts, Master."

Severus interrupted which allowed the elf to Disapparated. "Allow me to take care of this situation, Lucius." He stood. "Perhaps Sarah overheard us. Draco must have gone to find her." He summoned his cloak and drew it around his shoulders as he turned to Narcissa. "It's been a lovely evening. It's a shame we have to cut it short."

"Perhaps another time," she said.

Severus nodded to both of them before letting himself out and Disapparating.

**************  
TBC in Part 18  
**************


	18. Part 18

**********

 **Part 18**

Severus hoped that Draco and Sarah's disappearance meant that he was on their side. If Draco trusted Sarah and truly hated what his father was doing, then he would have a difficult task in gaining Draco's trust. Having Draco trust Sarah was just the first step. They really needed him to trust both of them and Dumbledore too.

First, Severus looked for them in the library. He was surprised when they were not there. He doubted that they would go to either the Slytherin or the Ravenclaw common room. Before searching the castle, he decided to check the Potions classroom. As he approached, he heard voices.

"You don't trust me?" Sarah asked.

"I trust you," Draco said. "I don't trust him, and you brought me to his classroom."

"Draco, you don't understand," Sarah said. "He's not like your father."

"He sounded like my father."

"I know, and we had to do that. It was the only way. We had to learn what side you're on."

"So, now that you know, what are you and Professor Snape going to do to me?"

Severus heard the fear in Draco's voice. He thought that he was going to die for being a traitor to his father and to The Dark Lord. "We are going to teach you to shield your mind from your father and any other person that would want to know your secrets." He watched Draco and saw only confusion. "We are not your enemies, Mr. Malfoy. We tested you tonight to see where you loyalties lie. I am pleased that you did not choose your father."

"But you said - " Draco began.

Severus cut him off. "It was all a lie. Nothing that I told your father is true. I wanted to provoke a reaction. It was never my intention to harm either you or Sarah. If you had not passed my test, I would have simply Obliviated your memory of the night. I still can if that is what you want."

"No," Draco said. "The memory will serve as a reminder. I won't let him near Sarah ever again."

"Thank you," Sarah said.

"Before I can let you go home, we must go see Professor Dumbledore," Severus said.

"Dumbledore? Why?" Draco asked.

"You must take a vow. Professor Dumbledore will witness it," Severus said. "Unless you wish to change your mind."

**********

Severus followed Sarah and Draco into the Headmaster's office. He could tell that both Draco and Sarah were nervous. Draco had never been summoned to the Headmaster's office for anything good before. This was new territory for him. Sarah was obviously worried that Draco would back out before taking the vow.

"Good evening, Severus. Draco. Sarah," Dumbledore said. He gave a slight nod to each of them. "Draco, do you know why you are here?"

"Yes, professor," Draco said. "I am here to take a vow to prove that I want to fight on your side."

"Very good," Dumbledore said.

"You do realize that you will be required to return to your family once you have taken the vow?" Severus asked. "You cannot let your parents know what happened here."

"I understand," Draco said.

Dumbledore stepped towards them with his wand raised. "I require an unbreakable vow." A look of confusion followed by a look of panic crossed Draco's face.

Sarah grabbed his hand and whispered to him. "Don't worry, Draco. If you meant what you told me, you will be all right."

"I won't ask anything of you that I wouldn't ask of Sarah," Severus said. He held out his hand and waited for Draco to take it.

Draco let go of Sarah's hand and took the hand Severus offered. Dumbledore placed his wand on their joined hands. "Let's begin," Dumbledore said.

"Do you, Draco Malfoy, agree to keep secret the identities of those you know to be fighting against The Dark Lord, including those whose identities you have yet to learn?" Severus asked.

"I do," Draco answered.

Severus felt the strand of magic wind around his hand and wrist. Without looking, he knew it was wound around Draco's hand as well. "And do you, Draco Malfoy, agree to do everything necessary to protect your mind from invasion from The Dark Lord and those Death Eaters loyal to him?"

"I do," Draco answered.

"And do you, Draco Malfoy, agree to tell either myself or Headmaster Dumbledore all information you learn that will aid us in our fight against The Dark Lord?"

"I do," Draco answered.

Dumbledore lifted his wand. "It is done." Severus released Draco's hand.

"That's it?" Draco asked. "That's all you want from me?"

"That is all," Severus replied. "You are not becoming a Death Eater, Mr. Malfoy. You are vowing your loyalty to Professor Dumbledore."

"I do believe that Sarah has something to teach you before we can let you return to your family," Dumbledore said. "It shouldn't take much time. Sarah is an excellent teacher."

Sarah took Draco to a corner of the office and talked to him quietly for a while before coming back to Severus and Dumbledore. "I think he's ready to be tested," she said.

Severus and Dumbledore both tested Draco to see if they could see into his mind. Once they were both satisfied that he could protect his mind from invasion, they let him return home.

**********

Severus and Sarah said good night to Dumbledore and left his office together.

"I apologize for the things I said tonight. I wish it had not been necessary," Severus said.

"I understand," Sarah said. "Mum and I had to say and do things we didn't like when we were in hiding. It was the only way to keep safe. You said what Draco's father needed to hear. Draco heard what he needed to hear from his father. We now know where Draco's loyalties lie."

He stopped and studied Sarah for a while. It took her a moment to realize he had stopped walking. She stopped and turned to face him.

"I always wondered why the Sorting Hat placed you into Ravenclaw and not into Slytherin or Gryffindor. I think I am beginning to understand," he said.

He resumed walking, and Sarah fell into step beside him. Before long they were at the entrance to Ravenclaw tower.

"Would you object if I pursued a relationship with Draco?" she asked.

"Now? Yes," he answered. "In a couple years? No." He leaned close and kissed the top of her head. "You are too young to pursue a relationship with anyone. Just be Draco's friend. That is what he needs. I think you need it too."

Sarah sighed. "Good night."

"Good night."

**************  
TBC in Part 19  
**************


	19. Part 19

**********

 **Part 19**

After the Christmas holiday, things returned to normal. At least, things were as normal as they could be with Umbridge slowly taking over the school. Umbridge passed a decree soon after the holiday that teachers were to share no information with students other than school lessons. Fortunately, Severus convinced her that he should be allowed to share with Sarah any information he liked due to the fact that she was his daughter. Umbridge didn't   
like it, but she could not keep a parent from speaking with his child.

Just before June, Severus viewed one of Emma's visions. Immediately, he realized he would not be able to act on his own to prevent this one from coming to pass. He would need the help of Harry Potter. With Umbridge watching everyone so closely, his only chance was to show the vision to Sarah and have her get a message to Harry. He just hoped that Harry believed her. The two had not seen much of each other since the incident with Sirius Black during the Christmas holiday.

Severus watched as Sarah viewed Emma's vision in the Pensieve. When she stood up and backed away, she asked, "Is Harry the only one who can retrieve it?"

"The only other person who can touch it is The Dark Lord," Severus answered. "We cannot let him have it. It is not enough that we now have full knowledge of the complete prophecy. We must take possession of it before The Dark Lord does."

"But doesn't he already know the prophecy?" Sarah asked. "Isn't that why he tried to kill Harry when he was a baby?"

"He didn't have the complete prophecy," Severus said. He thought about what he had heard in Emma's vision. "If he had known everything at that time, things may have happened differently."

"You would still be a Death Eater, and we would not know how to defeat him now," she said.

"But Lily ..." he whispered.

"Don't you think Voldemort would have found another reason to kill both her and James?" she asked. "They were leading most of the attacks against him at that time."

Severus took a deep breath to get his emotions under control. "You are correct. I shouldn't dwell on it." He glanced at the memory swirling in the Pensieve. "Do you think you will be able to talk to Potter about this?"

"I know Harry and I haven't seen much of each other since before Christmas, and I'm not sure he trusts me after what happened with Sirius." She took a deep breath as she thought a moment. "But I will find a way to give him the information, even if I have to tie him up and shove his head into the Pensieve."

**********

Severus was relieved when Sarah returned with news that Harry had listened to her information about the prophecy. "All it took was for me to tell him that Sirius was in danger. He decided himself that he needed to go and retrieve the prophecy. He is on his way there now with his friends."

"Good," Severus said. "I have informed the Order as well. All we can do now is wait."

"What if Voldemort summons you?" she asked.

"I will delay as long as I can, but it would not be wise for me to be seen at the Ministry." He started pacing. Sarah sat and watched him as he paced. Waiting was the part he hated the most. He had no way of knowing what was happening until he was summoned or someone returned. He didn't know if The Dark Lord would call him or not. Certainly, The Dark Lord wouldn't risk losing what he believed to be his best source of information on the Order of the Phoenix. _But he has acted rashly in the past,_ Severus thought.

It was late when he and Sarah were summoned to Dumbledore's office.

"The prophecy has been kept from Voldemort," Dumbledore informed them. "The sphere was destroyed during the battle at the Ministry."

"So, Potter knows nothing of the prophecy?" Severus asked.

"He did not see it in the sphere before it was destroyed, but he does know the prophecy. I showed it to him," Dumbledore said.

"Is that wise?" Severus asked.

"It was time for him to know," Dumbledore answered.

"Were there any casualties?" Sarah asked.

"There were several injuries, and Bellatrix killed Sirius Black."

"Harry ... " Sarah began.

"Harry will be fine. He is strong and has good friends. Don't worry about him," Dumbledore said.

"Why wouldn't Sirius listen when we tried to warn him?" Sarah asked.

"He was never one to let his friends fight for him," Dumbledore said.

"He never did as he was told," Severus said.

**************  
TBC in Part 20  
**************


End file.
